


Tryna Do What Lovers Do

by youarefire



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, PP Rare Pair Week 2018, Rare pair week 2018
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-04-24 19:54:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14362461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youarefire/pseuds/youarefire
Summary: A widowed neurosurgeon meets a divorced judge and they're kind of into each other but nothing happens between them at first.Their attraction only builds over time, as their kids get closer and as their flirty banter continues to escalate with each “coincidental” run in they encounter.





	1. Preschool Shenanigans

**Author's Note:**

> -This is MAINLY Staubrey, all the other ships have very minimal appearances throughout the story.  
> -Cassie and Wulfie's incident in the beginning was inspired by this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtnOCRBku7s)  
> -I used the Single parents and Supernatural themes throughout the entire story,  
> -Chapter 4 is a brief flashback of Chaubrey's past and I used the High School theme.  
> -Chapter 5 introduces Fake Dating and Roommates.  
> -Chapter 6 is the Freebie one.  
>  
> 
> With being sick and catching up on work and school this week I haven't really had time to write You & The Sea, but I hope you guys enjoy this because BOY did it take a lot out of me. lol 
> 
> Love you guys, thanks always for reading my stuff :)

**AUGUST: OPEN HOUSE**

 

“Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckkk.” Stacie was muttering lowly to herself as she ran towards the front of the building.

She was already ten minutes late to the preschool’s open house orientation, which meant she had NO time to get to the school’s conference hall before they locked her out. The school had a strict ten minute policy and this was already Stacie’s THIRD time trying to attend it. She really didn’t want to have to face the secretary  _again_  to reschedule, it would be too embarrassing.

She caught sight of the conference hall right as the doors were closing, “Wait! Hold the door!” She called out, then sprinted the rest of the way until she was safely inside. “Thank you SO much!” Stacie huffed breathlessly.

“No worries, you got here just in time.” A blonde woman waved her off, and threw a reassuring smile over her shoulder. 

"No, really! I owe you! This is my third time trying to go to this thing!" Stacie shrieked as she followed the blonde to sit down at the back row. "I feel like it's harder to get in here, than it is to get into a bougie club in hollywood!"

The other woman laughed at Stacie's dramatics, "Honestly, it's not a big deal. I wasn't going to close the door on you. That would have been so rude."

"Well, I owe you anyway! Literally, whatever you need! If you ever need to bail out of chaperoning or other parental responsibilities, just let me know and I'll be your girl!" 

"That honestly won’t be necessary, all I did was hold the door for you." The blonde then held her hand out for Stacie to shake, "I'm Aubrey by the way, Aubrey Posen. Pleasure to meet you."

For the first time since she entered the room, Stacie looked directly at the blonde's face. 

 _Whoa_ , she thought, clearly struck by how beautiful Aubrey was. She also noted Aubrey's piercing blue eyes. She grabbed Aubrey's hand and shook it slowly.

"I'm Stacie…Conrad." She shot the blonde a shy smile, which Aubrey mirrored, a soft blush coloring her cheeks. "The pleasure's all mine, trust me."

Aubrey blushed even further at that.

Stacie didn't know if it was Aubrey's blushing or the fact that they still haven't let go of each others' hands, but she felt a wave of butterflies flood her entire system. She cleared her throat before she spoke again, not trusting her own voice. "And like I said earlier, I was already locked out of two orientations, it would have been super embarrassing to get locked out of a third one. So, I definitely owe a debt of gratitude to you."

The lights dimmed and the school's administrator called for the parents' attentions towards the projector. It was only then, when Aubrey finally realized their hands were still connected. She abruptly released her grip on Stacie's hand and gave her an apologetic smile. "If you insist, then I'll be sure to keep that favor in mind then." Aubrey whispered.

"Good."

 

The open house was pretty boring. They took a tour of the small campus and was given a package listing all the events happening throughout the school year. Aubrey was pretty impressed, this wasn't just your typical preschool. This was actually the most expensive preschool program in the city. Known for their progressive way of getting the kids to develop better learning habits and interests by incorporating art, music, dance, theater, and sports into their day to day curriculum. 

By the end of the tour, they were excused to go home. But they were strongly encouraged to stop by the conference hall for some refreshments and they were also advised to "mingle" and possibly grab a few of each other's phone numbers in case of emergencies or play dates.

Given the fact that Stacie and Aubrey stayed together throughout the orientation, they opted out of the "parental mingling" and exchanged phone numbers with each other instead. They walked side by side at a leisurely pace, both tired from their long day.

"Where'd you park? I'll walk you to your car." Aubrey offered. 

"I actually parked out on the street, but you're welcome to walk me to the front of the school?" Stacie flashed her a teasing smile.

"Sounds good."

They spent the rest of their walk to the front of the school asking each other questions, in an effort to get to know each other a bit better. Stacie, Aubrey learned, was a single mom, much like herself. Stacie worked full time but her job required a lot of extra hours, also… much like herself. And Stacie moved to LA a month ago from New York, again, much like herself. Except, Aubrey moved to LA with her ex-wife, Chloe, when she was still pregnant with their son.

It was a bizarre amount of coincidences, but it was also nice to finally meet another single parent. All of Aubrey's friends and colleagues in town were either single with no kids, married with no kids, or married with kids. So Stacie felt like a breath of fresh air for Aubrey.

They bonded briefly over the struggles of maintaining a career that demanded a lot of their time, while also trying to raise a toddler... _alone_.

"Thank GOD for babysitters, right?" Stacie laughed.

"I know! I found a really great babysitting company, but they're a bit pricey. I can give you their card if you're still looking for one in the area?"

"Oh no, I'm good! I found one already."

Aubrey even learned that they used the same babysitting company and when she told Stacie as such, they both paused at their eerie coincidences. 

“We lead very similar lives...” Stacie trailed off.

“That, we do.”

"We’re both from New York, moved to the same city, chose the same school for our kids _and_ use the same babysitter! How freaking crazy is that?” Stacie cried out loud.

"Great minds think alike, I suppose." Aubrey responded with a coy smile.

“Are you always this proper when you’re talking to other people?”

Aubrey pretended to think about it for a second, “To most people, yes. I guess I’m more candid around family and friends.”

“Huh, I guess I’ll just have to try and be your friend then.” Stacie teased.

“Good luck with that. My son and my work take up most of my time, so I don’t really have much left over for a social life or new friends.”

Stacie hummed in response, “I can respect that.”

She didn’t pry any further, Stacie knows all about not having enough time to socialize or make new friends. The fact that she had so much trouble trying to fit the pre-school orientation into her schedule was a testament to that. They reached the front gate and said their goodbyes.

"You have my number so if you ever need to cash in on that favor, don't hesitate to call or text me."

Aubrey smiled and nodded, "I won't."

"I'll see you around, Aubrey." Stacie gave her the best, most charming smile she could muster. She wanted to make sure she made a lasting impression on the blonde.

"I sure hope so. Otherwise, how else would you be getting in the other PTA events without getting locked out?" Aubrey smirked, then winked at Stacie. She turned around and walked away without another word.

 _Wow_ , Stacie thought. That last exchange definitely made a lasting impression on the brunette, **definitely** _._

 

__________________

 

 **SEPTEMBER** **: FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL**

**_*Rising hearts preschool*_ **

“Mommy, where are we?”

“I signed you up for school Cas!” Stacie beamed down at her 3 year old.

Castielle Conrad Stroma let out a dramatic gasp and tugged her mom’s hand back.

“What baby? What is it?” She bent down and held on to her daughter’s tiny hips.

“You signed me up for law school?” The toddler squealed in excitement.

Stacie laughed. “No, Cassie! You’re only 3! This is preschool!”

“What’s preschool?”

“It’s where little babies like you go to prepare for real school. Preschool.”

“Hey! I’m not a little baby!” Cassie pouted then crossed her arms.

“You’re still mommy’s little baby though, right?”

Cassie smiled softly and whispered, “Yeah mommy but remember, it’s our secret? Don’t say it out loud!”

Stacie winked at her daughter and lowered her voice, “Got it. So I guess you want your goodbye smooches now before all the other kids see?”

“Yes!” She bounced around excitedly and wrapped her little arms around her mother’s neck as her mom showered her with kisses.

“I love you so much, my smart girl.” She let go of Cassie and wiped off the lipstick marks she left on Cassie's cheeks.

“I love you too my smart mommy.” 

“So what do you think kid? Are you gonna be okay on your first day or what?”

“Yeah, duh! My guardian angel’s gonna be with me.”

Stacie paused and raked her eyes over her daughter’s face, “Your guardian angel, meaning your dad?”

“Mhm. He says he’s _always_ with me. Even though I can’t see him sometimes.” She whispered the last half of her sentence.

Cassie saw a flash of bright light and heard a familiar voice from down the hallway, “ _That’s right my girl.”_  She looked over her mom’s shoulder and smiled at the sight of her dad gliding towards them. He stopped behind Stacie and leaned down to say, _“And we’re going to be more than okay today. We’re going to rule this school.”_

Stacie noticed the way her daughter was goofily smiling over her shoulder. She looked back and saw that the little girl was smiling at an empty hallway. But what she didn’t know was she actually came face to face with the angel.

 _“Hello, my darling.”_  Luke Stroma gazed longingly into his wife’s eyes and smiled.

The brunette turned back around and sighed. She gave Cassie a crushing hug and another kiss on the cheek. “That’s right, my girl. Daddy will always be watching over you. Now come on, we better hurry. We’re already super late!”

Cassie sighed and rolled her eyes.

“WE’RE ALWAYS LATE!”

_“YOU’RE ALWAYS LATE!”_

Father and daughter simultaneously yelled out in exasperation.

 

**__________________**

**_*Los Angeles County Superior Court, judicial office*_ **

Aubrey was in the middle of a conference call with the DA’s office when she heard her cell phone go off. Normally, she would just ignore it but when she saw that the caller ID belonged to her son’s preschool, she quickly excused herself and placed the call on hold.

“Judge Posen.”

“Hi, Miss Pose- uhm, uh. I’m sorry, Judge? Err- Hello, your honor? This is Principal Amy calling in regards to your son, Wulfric.”

“You can call me Miss Posen or Aubrey. And hello principal Amy, is everything alright? Did something happen? Is Wulfie okay?”

“Oh he’s perfectly safe, your honor! Don’t worry! And please, I’d much prefer to address you properly as a judge."

"Very well. If Wulfie is fine, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Your son was part of... an altercation. He-”

**_*A few seconds later, in the lobby outside Aubrey’s office, her voice boomed through the silence.*_ **

 

“WULFRIC DID WHAT???!!!!”

 

__________________

**_*Cedar Sinai Medical Center, surgery center: Operating Room 3*_ **

Stacie was an hour into surgery when one of the OR clerks paged her over the speakers.

“Dr. Conrad? Terry here, I have an urgent message for you.”

“Yes?” She muffled through her facemask.

“Are you too busy at the moment?”

Stacie and the other surgeon assisting her kept their focus on the patient in front of them, but the rest of the staff in the operating room deadpanned and looked towards the speakers.

“I’m in the middle of a transsphenoidal resection of a pituitary tumor, Terry. What could possibly be my answer to that question?”

“I- I’m sorry Dr. Conrad," Terry stuttered through his words, "it’s just…uhm, there’s a Principal Amy, from your daughter’s school, on the phone. She’s been calling for the past hour. She states she needs to speak with you ASAP. Do you want me to patch her through the speakers?”

Stacie was suddenly in a weird state of déjà vu at the mention of a loved one and the words “urgent” and “asap”. The brunette paused, in a moment of complete fear, she whipped her attention towards Terry’s voice.

“Is everything okay? Did something happen?”

“She didn’t provide me with any other information doctor. She only said she needed to speak with you, sooner rather than later.”

Stacie heaved a hard sigh, “o-okay, patch them through the spe-“

“Go take the call privately, Stacie. I’ll take over from here.” Her colleague piped up.

“Are you sure? It’s gonna take longer if you-”

“It’s fine, I’ve done this hundreds of times. Go. I’ll let you know how everything goes from here.”

The brunette sighed again and nodded. “Thanks Steve. Make sure to send the mass down to-“

“Pathology. I know. I know.”

“Right.”

Stacie handed the instruments over to her colleague and bolted out of the room. She yanked her gloves, mask, and gown off and sprinted towards the nurse’s station. Her entire body felt numb, the last time she received a call in the middle of surgery like this, she picked up the phone to the news of her husband’s fatal car accident. Her mind feared the worst as she grabbed the phone from Terry’s hands.

 

__________________

****

**_*Rising Hearts Preschool, main office*_ **

Aubrey was impatiently shaking her foot and biting at her cuticles as she sat in the waiting area of the main office. She checked her watch again and got up, “Hi, uhm, Ashley was it?”

The blonde secretary smiled and said, “Jessica. Ashley’s not in today.”

“Okay, Jessica, I know you said we need to wait until the other parents get here, but I’ve been waiting for almost twenty minutes. Can’t I just see my son now and play catch up with the girl’s parents once they’re here?”

“I understand the frustration of waiting, Judge Posen! But Cassie’s mom should be arriving any minute now. The principal just wants to have the parents meet and talk first, that way the adults are on the same page, before going in and confronting the kids.”

Aubrey scoffed, “They’re three years old, what would they know about confrontation?”

At the blonde’s stern tone, the secretary stiffened. “It’s just to show how the adults are a united front and are on the same page. The last thing we need is to have two children pit against each other because of disagreements between their respective families.”

“….THEY’RE IN PRESCHOOL! THEY’RE NOT EVEN GOING TO REMEMBER MOST OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN HERE! THERE DOESN’T NEED TO BE A UNITED FRONT!” The secretary was taken aback at the sudden outburst. She was about to suggest giving Cassie’s mom a call to see what her ETA was, when the door loudly swung open.

“I’m here! I’m here!”

Aubrey heard the woman behind her say. “Finally.” She muttered.

“Dr. Conrad!” Jessica said in relief.

“Hey, Jess.” Stacie breathed.

“I was just about to call you! I’m glad you got here safely, Dr. Conrad!”

_Conrad??? Where do I know that name from??_

Aubrey turned around and was completely shocked to see a panting, red-faced, Stacie Conrad standing by the door.

“Stacie?”

“Aubrey?”

They regarded each other’s appearance for a second. Aubrey was wearing a pair of beige heels, with a very fitted black pencil skirt that stopped just above her knees, a white lacey long sleeved top, and her hair was styled in soft curls with the top half tied back.

Stacie, on the other hand, had her hair messily stuffed in her scrub cap- with a few loose strands poking out of it, and was still in the same scrubs she was wearing in the OR not too long ago. And since she was in such a rush to get out of the OR, she forgot to remove her surgical booties, so she still had those on as well.

Two contrasting appearances, with the same dumbfounded expression on their faces.

“You’re a doctor?” Aubrey questioned, intrigued by this shocking discovery.

Stacie scratched the back of her head, “Uhm, yeah.” She looked down and finally realized she was still wearing the booties. “A surgeon, actually. Hence the outfit.”

Aubrey smiled for the first time since dropping Wuflie off that morning at the way Stacie was shyly trying to smooth out her scrub top and tuck her loose hair back in her cap.

“That’s really cool.” The blonde mused, a slight dreamy look on her face.

“Right?” Jessica piped up from behind the counter, with the same dreamy expression as Aubrey.

Stacie awkwardly cleared her throat. She felt a little self-conscious with two blonde haired, blue eyed, women staring at her. “So!" She clapped her hands together, "I take it your kid was the one who tried to pee on another student, then chased the teacher with a pair of scissors?”

Aubrey was snapped out of her reverie at the image of her son running around with a pair scissors.

“Ah, yup. That’s… that’s my Wulfie.” Aubrey chuckled nervously. “And I guess, it’s safe to assume your kid was the one who tackled my kid to the ground, then repeatedly high pitch screamed ‘NAP TIME’ in his ear?”

Stacie laughed lightly. Aubrey seemed to be less proper with her approach today and she found it quite endearing, “Yes, that would be my daughter, Cassie. She thinks naps can fix an-“

“Yay! You’re both here!” Principal Amy, a blonde Australian woman came out and interrupted them. “I see you two have already met. Come on in to my office!”

The two single mothers made their way inside and sat next to each other.

“I’m Amy, the school principal. You must be Dr. Conrad.”

Stacie shook the blonde’s hand, “Yes. Nice to meet you. Please, you can call me Stacie.”

“I actually prefer to appropriately address the parents that come through here. If that’s okay with you?”

“Oh, Of course.”

Amy then turned to face Aubrey, “Your highness. It’s a pleasure and an honor to meet you.”

“Whoa, your highness? Are you royalty?” Stacie shrieked.

Aubrey looked between Amy and Stacie, her face scrunched in confusion. “What? No! I’m a Judge!” The two blondes shook hands. “Likewise, Principal Amy.”

“Right, that makes more sense.” Stacie shrugged. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you were though, you have that Queen of Genovia vibe going on.”

Aubrey couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the statement. “Thank you?”

“Wow. You just made a judge laugh mate, I heard that equals to no jury duty for the rest of your life and for your following generations to come.” Amy mused, eyes wide.

The pair didn’t know how to react to the Australian’s statement, because neither of them have ever heard of that happening. Ever.

Once the principal settled down at her desk, she clapped her hands together and sighed, a half grimace, half smile plastered on her face.

“So… I’m sure you both know why you’re here?”

Aubrey and Stacie eyed each other cautiously then nodded slowly at the principal.

“Take us through what happened exactly?” Stacie piped up.

 

__________________

 

***Three hours earlier***

“Hello children, my name is Ms. Esther Onakuramara!” She lowered her voice and whispered, “But sometimes my twin sister Lilly takes over my body.”

“The teacher is shady, dad.”

_“She’s not shady Cas. She’s just trying to be funny.”_

The little girl sighed and looked around the classroom in silent judgement and disgust. She noticed the boy who was seated a few seats down from her was doing the shimmy dance she did whenever she had to go potty. She remembered the two week long “potty boot camp” her mom put her through. She would be minding her own business, doing whatever it was 2 year olds did and out of nowhere she’d have the urge to go number 1 but remembered she had no diaper and had to use the “big girl” toilet. She was always too lazy to walk allllll the way to the “big girl toilet” so she’d do a little peepee shimmy dance to help keep it all in.

She had more than a few accidents, since her dad was already an angel at the time, he couldn’t physically carry her over to the toilet, so it mostly happened whenever her mom wasn’t in the same room. But after the first few days, the angel agreed to walk alongside her all the way to the potty and sit there with her whenever she needed to use it. She still has some accidents here and there but she’s getting better.

The 3 year old felt the familiar presence of her father on her shoulder, she looked back and saw his hand there. “ _Everything okay, love?”_

She smiled up at him, and nodded softly.

A loud ear-screeching squeal caught her attention. When she looked over, she saw the peepee-shimmy dancer had stopped shimmying and was ACTUALLY peeing.

“MS. ESTHER WULFIE’S TRYNG TO PEE ON ME!!!!!”

The whole classroom watched on as the teacher calmly walked towards the boy.

“Wulfie, we don’t pee on our friends…” She said in a low eerie tone. “Now, we have to get you into something dry. Let’s go.”

The boy just stood there frozen.

“Come on now Wulf. You wouldn’t want my twin sister Lilly to take over do you? She’s not as nice as I am.”

Before Cassie can react to the shady teacher’s comment, the boy sprinted towards the teacher’s desk and grabbed a pair of scissors.

“I CAN TRY AND SEPARATE YOU AND YOUR TWIN!” Wulfie yelled in determination before running towards Ms. Esther and screaming at the top of his lungs.

The entire classroom erupted in chaos as the teacher lost her cool and began running away from the blonde boy who was chasing her with a pair of scissors.

“My first day of school is a mess! Daddy, what do I do?” She looked over at the angel who had an amused smile on his face.

_“I think it’d be best to stay out of this one sweetheart.”_

“No! I have to do something!”

Before her father could protest she got out of her tiny chair and bolted towards the boy. She tackled him hard on the ground and pinned him down.

She screamed as loud as she could into his ear in hopes that it would calm the boy a bit. “NAAAAPPP TIIIIME! NAAAAPPPPPP TIIIIIME!!!! NAP TIME!!!”

 

__________________

 

The two mothers walked over to the empty classroom where their kids were being detained. Wulfie was drawing and Cassie was playing with a toy kitchen set.

“Mama!” Albus Wulfric Beale-Posen hugged his mother tightly. “You’re here!”

“Hey sweetheart. Of course I am, I heard you did something today you weren’t supposed to.” The blonde crouched down to her son. “So I had to come down here and defend you, just like any good mom slash lawyer would do.”

“But I thought you’re a mom slash judger now?” He asked timidly.

“Judge. And I am, but I’d drop everything to defend you, you know that right Wulf?

“I know mama.”

“Okay, good.” Aubrey placed a tender kiss on her son’s forehead. “So this is what we need to do to keep you away from trouble, we need to go to your teacher and apologize for scaring her and chasing her with a sharp object. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“And we need to explain that you were only trying to be like Dr. Frankenstein. You were only trying to help her. Also, remember when I said that you can’t be like Dr. Frankenstein in real life? It’s just a fairytale? And you can’t cut real people open unless you were a grown up and a..?”

“Ss-surglan?”

“Surgeon.” Aubrey looked over at Stacie and smiled briefly when she saw the woman was showering her daughter with kisses.

“Suuurgeon. Okay.”

“We also need to thank your new friend Cassie for stopping you before you ended up accidentally hurting anyone. But most importantly, we need to thank her for stopping you before you ended up hurting yourself. Got it?”

“Mmmm… but she hurt me when pushed me to the ground and she screamed into my ear and it hurt really bad.” He whined in a tiny husky voice.

Aubrey couldn’t help but give her son another hug at the sight of his cute whining. “I know, baby. But I’m sure she has some things to say to you about that too.”

The blonde stood up and walked over to where mother and daughter were sitting by the kitchen set. The two moms locked eyes and smiled.

“Hey Cas, I think some friends want to talk to us for a bit, is it cool if we turn off the stove really quick so we can chat with them?”

The little girl sighed and nodded. She turned off the pretend stove and patted her hands “clean” with her pretend apron. She moved the flyaways away from her face and promptly turned around to face the two blondes.

“Ready!” She beamed.

“Such a diva.” Stacie mouthed.

The other woman smiled and looked over at the little girl. “Hello, you must be Cassie. I’m Aubrey, Wulfie’s mom.”

“Hi Cassie...” The boy greeted her in a low voice.

“Hi Ms. Aubrey and hi Wulfie. This is MY mommy.”

“Hello Cassie’s mommy. I’m Wulfie.”

“Hi there Wulfie, I’m Stacie. I like your name. Is it short for anything?”

The boy nodded. “Wulfric. But I only get called that when I’m in trouble.”

The two parents chuckled and Cassie piped up. “My mom only calls me Castielle whenever I’m in trouble too!”

“Well, you both did some things today that got you in trouble, didn’t you?”

The two toddlers nodded at Aubrey.

 “Cassie, do you have something you’d like to say?” Stacie said.

The toddler rolled her eyes and heaved a breath,

_“Go on sweetheart. Get on with it.”_

At the gentle encouragement of her dad’s voice she croaked out her apology. “I’m sorry I tackled you and I’m sorry I screamed in your ear.”

“It hurt a lot. You’re really strong.”

“Wulfric...” Aubrey warned.

“Oh, right. Thank you for stopping me. Even though it hurt, it doesn’t hurt anymore. And you stopped me from hurting people on accident and hurting me on accident. So thanks.”

Aubrey and Stacie smiled at each other. “Okay Wulf, you wanna go show Cassie what you drew really quick, while Miss Stacie and I talk for a bit?”

“Okay!”

“Do I have to go see it mommy?” Cassie whined lowly.

“Yes.”

_“YES!”_

When the toddler begrudgingly followed both her parents’ orders, Stacie and Aubrey shared a victorious smile.

“That was fun.” The brunette said.

“Yeah, Cassie’s so cute. She’s such a character.”

“She really is. She’s my little diva.”

_“She takes after her mum!”_

Cassie looked over her shoulder at the sound of her dad’s teasing voice and smiled at him. “I do take after mommy!”

Both moms laughed at her outburst. “I seriously don’t know where she gets these things from.”

“Well I find it really cute. I think she’s adorable.” Blue eyes met green and Stacie felt her stomach flip.

“Thank you.” She smiled softly and looked back at her daughter.

“The apple _definitely_ didn’t fall far from the tree.” Aubrey kept her eyes on Stacie and smirked when she saw the brunette was biting her lip to suppress a smile.

“I guess so.”

Luke observed the interaction between the two women with a knowing smirk.

_“Interesting.”_


	2. Sweets and Surprises for Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stacie reluctantly allows Cassie to knock on an un-decorated house while they're out trick or treating, and she meets a beautiful red head.  
> She'd never be able to guess who the house belongs to though.
> 
> This chapter includes a tiny bit of Jessley  
> and if you squint hard enough, there might be a lil' Chacie in there for ya too.

**OCTOBER: HALLOWEEN**

After their eventful first day of school Wulfie and Cassie became tightknit friends. Principal Amy and their moms all sat down with them after their “confrontation” and taught the toddlers all about sticking up for each other and having each other’s backs.

It was safe to say that they took it to heart. Whenever one needed something, the other would be there to help. The month that followed was filled with stories at the dinner table about their preschool adventures and shenanigans. Both Stacie and Aubrey adored the fact that the two got on so well.

“A lot of the other girls try to get Wulfie to play together with them but he’ll only join if I agree to play too.”

“Oh he’s a lady magnet! If he won’t play unless you’re there does that mean Wulfie’s your boyfriiiieennndd?”

“EW! No mommy! Daddy said he’s supposed to be my brother!”

“ _THAT’S MY GIRL! YOU TELL HER YOU’RE TOO YOUNG FOR A BOYFRIEND AND SHE SHOULDN’T BE TEASING YOU ABOUT BOYS YET!”_

“He said I’m too young for a boyfriend and you shouldn’t be teasing me.” Cassie shrugged and continued eating her food.

Stacie sighed at her daughter. She didn’t really know what to do or say whenever the toddler brought up her dad. It started a few weeks after Luke’s death, she would hear her talking and laughing with someone and when she asked her who she was talking to, Cassie would say she was talking to her “daddy” but he’s her “angel” now. It freaked her out in the beginning but Stacie’s therapist said it might be Cassie’s way of coping with the sudden loss of her dad. It’s like having an imaginary friend.

After a year and a half of this, Stacie’s gotten used to her daughter’s coping mechanism. There were even a few instances where she thought she saw the image of an angelic looking Luke hovering over her and Cassie while they slept together, but he’d be gone in a blink of an eye.

She chalked it up to her own imagination getting the best of her.

“Well you tell your daddy he can go suck it.” Stacie said quietly into her glass of water. It was something she always used to say to him whenever they teased each other.

_“I heard that.”_

“DONE! CAN WE GO TRICK OR TREATING NOW??!”

“Let me see, go ah.”

“Aaahhhhhh.” Cassie opened her mouth wide.

“Okay, uh huh. No food particles in there. You’re all clear kid! Go put on your trench coat and bring down your tie so we can put it on, we’ll probably need to reapply your 5’oclock shadow too. Then we’ll head out.”

“YAASSSSSSS!” She squealed in excitement and headed up to her room.

 

 

_________________

 

**_*Rising hearts preschool: Costume Parade*_ **

Earlier that day the school held a Halloween Parade, where each class took turns walking around the playground to show off their respective costumes. Stacie and Aubrey surprisingly arrived around the same time and quickly found each other in the throng of parents gathered around the quad. They had about 20 minutes to spare before the parade was due to begin so they decided to go sit by the front steps of the school.

"I'm surprised you're here on time!" Aubrey teased.

"HAHA! Very funny. I made sure to block this off my schedule a few weeks back. Castielle loves everything about Halloween, it's her favorite holiday."

"Halloween is Wulfie's favorite too."

Stacie hummed in response. There was a comfortable lull in the conversation before the brunette decided this would be the perfect opportunity to get to know the judge a bit more.

"So, how's life been treating you Judge Posen?" She smirked. Aubrey hated being called Judge outside of the office. 

"Life's been treating me well DOCTOR Conrad. Though, it has been busier than usual these past few weeks, I haven't really had the time to see Wulf all that much. By the time I get home, he's already getting ready for bed." 

At the blonde's somber expression, Stacie softened. "Oh, that sucks Bree, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, well the babysitter loves it. A lot of my money has been going into that company. You'd think they'd give me a discount for using their services so damn much!"

The brunette chuckled, "You know we could always have the kids stay at my place after school. We could split the cost of the baby sitter? I don't get home as late as you do. And I can drive him home once you're done sending bad guys to prison."

Aubrey smiled at that last bit, "Uhm, I don't know. I wouldn't want to intrude... Wulfie's a handful. He eats every hour and he makes such a huge mess whenever he's playing. I don't want to add more to your plate."

"Oh come on! It'll be fine! Cassie's the exact same way! Don't worry about food or mess. I have a chef who stocks our fridge and pantry each week and I have a cleaning lady who comes every other day. It's really not a big deal. Plus, the kids love each other! It'll be nice for Cas to have a friend her age to play with throughout the day." She looked over to Aubrey who was visibly gawking.. "What?"

"You have a chef AND a cleaning lady? Are your patients celebrities or something?"

Stacie laughed out loud and Aubrey couldn't help but melt at the sound. "I'm a neurosurgeon. We make a lot per surgery and per consult. I have privileges at three different hospitals and I round at all three of them every single day, five days a week. You do the math."

"Hmm, I see. I see."

Stacie gently nudged her and flashed a pleading smile, "Sooooo? What do ya say? Wanna split the baby sitting bill?"

Aubrey squinted at her, "Only if you let me pay half of the cleaning lady's and the food guy's bill."

"WHAT? No! Aubrey that's ridiculous!"

"Fine! 40 percent!"

"How about Zero percent!"

"35!"

"Ugh! Fine, what about 25 and instead of me dropping Wulfie off you can drive your ass to my house and pick him up every day?"

"Deal!" She gleefully held her hand out for Stacie to shake. "So when should we start this?"

"Hmm, I was thinking as soon as next week?"

"Okay that works, text me your address. I'll have my driver drop off the children at your place everyday from now on."

"Wait, wait, wait-" Stacie grabbed onto both of the blonde's shoulders. "You gave me such a hard time about a chef and a cleaning lady when you literally hired a driver for your son?!"

"Well a driver is practical! How else will Wulfie get home?"

"Uhm, the babysitter?"

"WHAT? THEY CAN DO THAT?"

 

_________________

 

Soon afterward Stacie and Aubrey headed down to the playground but stopped by the main office first.

"Hello Ashley."

"Hey Jess!"

They greeted at the same time.

"Judge Posen Your Majesty!"

"Dr. Conrad, hi!"

Ashley and Jessica whipped their heads towards each other, both spoke at the same time and for some reason they took it as a surprise. 

"Ashley, please stop calling me that! Just call me Aubrey or Miss Posen."

"No promises here." Ashley replied, a dreamy look on her face. 

Jessica rolled her eyes at the sight. 

"So Jess, we're headed to watch the parade, do you guys wanna walk over there together?"

The surgeon and the judge looked at the secretaries expectantly.

The blonde secretary giggled out loud in response and sputtered on, "I would- we would LOVE to join you guys, that'd be an amazing honor to watch beside you. Your kids are adorable. Really. We love looking at them.. I mean like their costumes! They're honestly so cute and-"

Ashley watched on in horror and embarrassment before finally butting in, "I think what she's trying to say is we would love to but we have to stay here and hold down the fort while the parade goes on." She looked over at Aubrey and smiled brightly.

"Aw, okay then. Well we'll catch you two later! Come on Stace." She grabbed the surgeon's arm and pulled her towards the door.

"I'll come by later and show you guys pictures!"

Once the two were out of sight Ashley turned to the blonde, "Real smooth babe, real smooth."

"I can't help it! She's literally McSteamy!"

"Isn't McDreamy the one that's a neurosur-"

"That's not the point Ash!"

Ashley held up her hands in mock defense and chuckled at her wife. She leaned against Jessica's desk and inched her face towards her, "I guess you just have a thing for brunettes."

"And I guess you have a thing for blondes." Jessica winked and quickly kissed her wife on the lips. "Go back to work."

 

_________________

 

Right when they stepped out into the hallway Aubrey let go of her arm and nudged Stacie playfully, "Jessica has an enormous crush on you."

"What? No she does not!"

"Explain the stuttering mess then!"

"She's just shy!"

"Not with me, she's not."

"Oh whatever, Ashley looked at you with literal heart eyes!"

"She looks at Jessica the same way!"

"Heh, I guess she has a thing for blondes." Stacie shrugged. Then a smirk began to form on her face. "And here I thought I was the only one with heart eyes when it came to a certain blondie." 

Her smirk disappeared when she was met with Aubrey's obliviousness, "Well despite Jessica's obvious crush on you, you're out of luck because I heard from one of the other parents that they're actually secretly married."

Stacie was about to protest but thought better of it. She intead just nodded in response. 

 

_________________

 

They got to the playground right on time and watched side by side. They decided Stacie will be taking pictures and Aubrey will be video taping the parade. They watched with proud smiles on their faces as their children paraded around, waving and smiling at the crowd.

Wulfric dressed up as a surgeon and Stacie learned all about his obsession with being either a surgeon or a mad scientist or both. She informed the little boy of her profession and he went on to ask a series of questions regarding her work.

Aubrey on the other hand took one look at Cassie’s costume and assumed she was a detective. But after a few more failed guesses, Castielle revealed how she was named after an angel called Castiel from her dad’s favorite TV show, Supernatural. She thought it’d be the perfect Halloween costume. The blonde also learned about Stacie actually being a widow and not a divorcee, like herself, when the little girl said she wanted to dress up as Castiel so she could be an angel like her daddy.

The judge’s admiration towards the brunette doubled and she spent the rest of the day thinking about all the different reasons why Stacie Conrad was an amazing, strong, and beautiful person. Inside and out.

 

 _________________

 

**_*Trick or treating*_ **

“Mommy let’s go to this big house with the pretty flowers!”

“I don’t think they’re giving out candy baby. There’s no decorations.”

“Yeah but they kept their light on!”

Stacie sighed, “Okay, we can try. Let’s go knock.”

Cassie bounded down the pathway with her mom trailing behind, and stopped outside the big front door. She knocked hard a few times and waited. Right as Stacie got to her side the door swung open and revealed a very beautiful red head with the bluest eyes anyone has ever seen.

“TRICK OR TREAT!” Cassie greeted.

“Hi! Aren’t you the cutest little thing! I love the coat. Let me guess, you’re a detective?!” The woman squinted down at her playfully.

“Nope! I’m Castiel from supernatural! I'm not allowed to watch the show yet but I know he looks like a man but he’s really an angel! Just like my daddy!” The toddler quipped matter of factly.

“Aaawwwwwwwww! That’s so awesome sweetie!” The woman kneeled and whispered to the toddler, “I’m sure your father is very proud of you.” She winked and got back up. “She’s so adorable. Is she your dau-” The redhead looked at Stacie for the first time and was slightly taken aback at how hot the brunette was- “Daughter? Or should I say sister?”

Stacie smirked, “She’s my daughter. But thank you for that.”

“Oh please, you must get that a lot.” The two women smiled at each other and the way the redhead's eyes roamed over Stacie's body and the way she bit her lip didn’t go unnoticed by the surgeon.

“Are you giving out candy?” Cassie piped up impatiently.

“OH! Right. Let me just- I’m gonna grab the bucket. Wait here.”

When the woman disappeared back into the house Stacie smiled to herself. “Still got it.”

“Got what mommy?”

“Nothing, baby.”

The woman reappeared with a bucket of full-sized chocolate bars and held it out for the toddler.

“Whoa jackpot! Thank you!!”

“Take as much as you want! Please!” She chuckled then looked back at Stacie. “We've had zero trick or treaters come by all night. You guys are actually the first.”

“It might be because of the lack of decorations.”

“Right. I didn't even think of that. Well we used to go all out for Halloween but my ex-wife’s been really busy with work lately so she didn’t have the time this year.”

“You live with your ex-wife?” Stacie raised a questioning brow.

“What? Oh, no! I live in New York with my girlfriend. I’m here visiting my son. Halloween is his favorite so I thought I’d stop by and surprise him this weekend.”

“That’s so sweet!” _She has a girlfriend? Bummer!_

“Yeah, he’s out trick or treating with his mama right now so I’m hiding out in here until they get home.”

“That’s cute! I’m sure he’ll be-“

“Mommy let’s go! Please!”

At her daughter’s impatient whining, Stacie and the redhead said their goodbyes. 

"It was nice meeting you, good luck with your surprise!"

"Thanks! And likewise!"

 

Mother and daughter made their way down the pathway towards the street.

“Hold my hand Cas. We don’t want the monsters to steal you.”

“Daddy will save me from the monsters.” Cassie saw a bright light flash from her peripheral and she smiled. She didn't need to look to know that the bright light belonged to her angel.

“You still gotta hold my hand kid.”

_"You've still got to hold mummy's hand sweetheart."_

Her parents instructed simultaneously. 

The toddler sighed and grabbed onto her mother's hand. They were almost at the end of the walkway when their ears perked up at the sound of two very familiar voices.

 

" _Right on time."_ Luke murmured to himself as he looked at his golden watch.

_"Three.."_

 

“MAMA I DON’T WANT TO GO HOME YET!”

 

_"Two..."_

 

“I know baby but there’s a huge surprise waiting for you at home. I promise you’ll love it.”

 

_"One..."_

 

The voices rounded the corner and the two Conrads came face to face with their favorite blondes. Luke smiled then hovered over them to watch the encounter in silence. 

“WULFIE!”

“CASSIE!”

“Stacie? What the hell?”

“Aubrey?”

The three year olds ran to each other and hugged, excitedly showing off the bounty of candy they’ve collected so far, as their mothers slowly gravitated to each other.

“Are you stalking me?” Aubrey teased.

“You wish. I’m just taking my kid trick or treating.”

“How come you're all the way out here?”

“I only live a few blocks down! I gave you my address earlier!”

“You do? I honestly had no idea! So what’re you doing in front of my house then?” Aubrey egged on but was met with a look of bewilderment from the brunette.

“Hold up, you live here?!” Stacie asked, shocked.

Aubrey’s face contorted from playful to horrified when realization dawned on her. “WAIT! Did you?” She motioned between Cassie and her house.

Stacie nodded with a teasing smile on her face. 

“So you met…?”

“Mmmhhhhmmm.”

“Lovely.”

“I gotta tell ya judge, she’s hot. I see Wulfie isn't the only Lady Magnet in the family.” She said with a wink.

“You think my ex is hot?”

 _"Oh bloody heaven this woman is clueless."_ Luke mumbled. He looked up and spoke, " _Are you sure they're a match?_ "

The surgeon groaned internally because _of course_ Aubrey would only pay attention to that part.

“I’ll be sure to let her know.” The blonde pursed her lips.

“Meh. You don’t have to. She’s hot, yes. But as I've said before, I’m more interested in blondes.” Stacie shrugged and OOPP there it was. The cute Aubrey Posen shy small smile began to peak through.

“Mama can Cas go inside? We’re gonna split our loot and-“

“And he wants to show me his playroom! He has AN ENTIRE room. FOR PLAYING!”

“Uhhmm.” Aubrey’s mind went BLANK. She loved spending time with Stacie and Cassie but the thought of being in the same room with her ex and the woman she’s silently (kind of, not really, maybe a little tiny bit) been crushing on was already raising her blood pressure and anxiety levels.

“Cassie, baby, can I talk to you for a sec?”

The three year old walked to her mom and Stacie whispered something in her ear. The toddler’s eyes went wide in understanding and a smug smile crept on her face.

“Uhm, maybe next time Wulfie, my mommy and I still have a lot of houses to visit! And I heard you have a big surprise waiting for you at home so you should probably go get to that!”

“Aw ok! Can she come over and play next time then mama?”

“Actually baby, we're going to have you stay over Cassie's house after school from now on. So you two will have plenty of time together! But if you still want her to come over next week, we can have her come over. As long as Miss Stacie’s okay with it.”

The boy looked over to his friend’s mom hopefully.

“It’s a playdate! We’ll come by next weekend, how’s that sound Wulfie?”

“Yay!”

“Yaaayyy!”

The toddlers squealed at the same time.

“Thank you.” Aubrey mouthed.

Stacie did nothing but smile goofily at the blonde.

_Aubrey’s into women… Interesting._


	3. Thankful for the Past, Hopeful for the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What to expect int his chapter:  
> -Luke is Stacie's literal wing man (get it? He's an angel.. he has wings.. LOL ANYWAYS)  
> -Cassie and Aubrey form a closer bond. Stacie swoons.  
> -Everyone misses Wulfie.  
> -You know those deep conversations that only happen late at night? Yeah, they have one of those.

**NOVEMBER: THANKSGIVING**

“Mommy we need to get more whipped cream for the pie! Daddy said!” Cassie, who was sitting inside the shopping cart, exclaimed.

“He did not say that Cassie, don’t be silly.”

 _“Yes I did! You know how much Cassie and I love whipped cream.”_ He looked over to his daughter and smiled. _“This one time your mum switched my shaving cream with whipped cream and instead of washing it off, I ate it.”_

The little girl giggled at her dad’s story. “I love whipped cream, just like daddy.”

Stacie smiled adoringly at her. “Okay, we’ll get an extra can.”

“Yes!”

 _“Yes!”_ Father and daughter said at the same time. _"And there's more than just whipped cream in that aisle for you two by the way._ "

The surgeon shook her head, “You really are your father’s daughter. You know when your dad and I first got married I tried to trick him by switching his shaving cream with whipped cream and instead of washing it off like a normal person h-”

“He ate it.”

The brunette paused for a moment, confused. “Yeah, how’d you know that?”

The little girl shrugged, still looking through the different grocery items in the cart with her. “Daddy just told me that story.”

“O-kay…” She shook her head and smiled at her daughter. “I don’t know if it’s because I miss him but sometimes it feels like your daddy’s actually still here.”

“He is.”

 _“I am.”_ Luke was standing right next to her, a sad smile on his face.

“He’s right next to you.” Cassie said in an airy kind of way.

Stacie’s breath hitched in fear because SOMETIMES her daughter’s casual claims of seeing her dad “her guardian angel” SCARED the shit out of her. Because what if it wasn’t imaginary? What if she was ACTUALLY seeing Luke’s ghost and mistook it as him being an angel? Oh my god, what if her daughter can see spirits? She was NOT ready.

She looked next to her and saw nothing but the cereal boxes on the shelf. She stared in that direction for a few more seconds, trying to imagine what it would be like to see Luke’s face again.

Of course, what she didn’t realize was she actually came nose to nose with the angel.

 _“Hello my darling.”_ He said lowly. _“The void in your heart will be filled soon enough. I promise you.”_ Luke reached out and touched her cheek.

A wave of peace came over Stacie then. She didn’t really know where it came from. But the fear and hollowness she felt fled from her body. Whatever it was Cassie was seeing, whether imaginary or not, provided her comfort in the fact that they were always there watching over them.

She heaved a long sigh. “Where were we? Oh right, whipped cream.”

They rounded the corner and saw the familiar figure of a blonde woman with a small cart in hand, looking over the dairy section. She was eyeing something on the top shelf. She was about to reach for it but seemed to think better of it before looking at the other options that were more eye level.

Stacie moved closer to the blonde with a mischievous grin. The blonde rose on her tippy toes and was about to reach for the top shelf again when, “Excuse me, Judge Posen? Your shortness? Let me grab that for you.” She reached up right when the blonde brought her hand back down to turn towards the voice she heard.

In a flash of what seemed to be very uncoordinated and confusing events, the two women crashed into each other and they were then stood only inches apart with their arms tangled together.

“What the hell? Stacie?”

“That seems to be your favorite way of greeting me.” They locked eyes and shared a coy smile.

Luke was crouched over the shopping cart and smiled. “ _Here we gooo. Work your charm Conrad.”_

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“HI MISS AUBREY!”

Aaaannndd the moment was gone.

They awkwardly detangled themselves and Aubrey moved to the cart to give Cassie a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Hi there my little lovebug. How’s my favorite girl doing?”

The fact that they see each other five days out of the week didn't really matter, each time Cassie saw her, she lit up with awe and excitement of the judge. Upon learning Aubrey used to be a lawyer and was now a judge the toddler became starstruck whenever she was around. The feeling, of course, was mutual. Aubrey grew very fond of the little girl and loved how she always asked if the blonde had eaten dinner yet whenever she picked up Wulfie later than usual. She was very happy with how their arrangement brought her and Wulfie closer to the Conrads. There aren't very many people she trusted with her son, but with Stacie, she trusted her with her entire life.  

“I’m fine. Where’s Wulfie?” Cassie looked around the judge in hopes of finding her friend.

“He’s not here babes, he’s visiting his other mom for thanksgiving.” She reached out and smoothed Cassie's flyaways away from her face.

“He has another mommy?” 

Aubrey’s eyes went wide in panic because _holy shit_ , she didn’t realize the three year old wasn’t familiar with this information. Luckily for her, the girl’s mother came to her side.

“Yup, he has two mommies!”

“That’s soooo cool! I want two mommies! How did he get two?”

“Well baby, you see, Miss Aubrey here, fell in love and married another woman. That’s why Wulfie got two.”

“Ohhhhh…” The three year old nodded in understanding. “So for me to have another mommy you need to marry another lady?

“Yes that’s right, my smart girl.”

“How come Wulfie’s other mommy doesn’t live here?”

Stacie and Aubrey paused. How the hell do you explain divorce to a three year old?

_"Oooooh, you walked yourselves into that one ladies."_

“Uhhmm, well... They’re not married anymore.”

“Oh okay.” Cassie shrugged.

The two women smiled and let out a relieved sigh. Happy that the three year old didn’t pry any further.

_“They should just marry each other then. Shouldn’t they sweetheart?”_

Cassie looked from her dad over to the two women who were staring longingly at each other.

“You should marry Miss Aubrey mommy! So I can have two mommies just like Wulfie!”

Stacie laughed nervously. “Marriage doesn’t work like that baby. Two people should be in love when they get married.”

The little girl scrunched up her tiny face and realized something, “Yeah but you look at Miss Aubrey like you want to kiss her and don’t people who are in love kiss?”

Luke slapped his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud at the look of sheer horror that came over Stacie’s face. His daughter was, truly, well beyond her years. Stacie was a stuttering mess so Aubrey decided to interject.

“I don’t know lovebug, with the way she’s stuttering right now I’m not so sure your mommy will be able to handle a kiss from a woman like me. One kiss from me might break her.” She said smugly.

 _“Niiice. I like her.”_   The angel looked up, _“You’re right, Stacie has definitely met her match with this one.”_

Stacie snapped out of her nervous haze and looked at the blonde with hooded eyes.

 _“Uh oh, I know that look… the hunter’s on the prowl.”_ Luke said under his breath. He looked back up and said, _“She never did back down from a challenge.”_

“Daddy who you talking to?” Cassie muttered and eyed the angel in confusion before she looked up at the ceiling as well.

_“Ssshhhhh baby, I’m watching fate in action...”_

“I’ve had my fair share of kisses with women like you, Judge Posen. That and _so_ much more.”

“So much more huh? Like what exactly?” The blonde raised a brow, her eyes inadvertently fleeted down to Stacie’s lips.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” The taller woman reached up and grabbed the carton of organic lactose free milk Aubrey was eyeing, she handed it to her and looked in her eyes. “You mentioned the other day you didn't have any thanksgiving plans this year and since Cassie and I will be having dinner, just the two of us, I'd like you to join. It'll be nice to feed a Posen who won't get their dinner all over the dining table for a change." She flashed Aubrey a teasing smile. "Dinner will be ready around six but feel free to stop by earlier.”

She let go of the milk and made sure to gently brush her hands against the blonde's fingers, “I might just tell you a bit more about my past with women. I have some pretty steamy stories up my sleeve. But don’t worry…” She stepped into Aubrey’s personal space and whispered in her ear, “None of them were ever as hot as you.” Stacie winked and left her dazed by the dairy aisle.

“Mommy we forgot the whipped cream!”

Her parents responded in unison.

_“Mommy will come back for it later! That was the perfect exit!”_

“I’ll come back tomorrow! That was the perfect mic drop!”

****

**_______________________ **

 

**_*Thanksgiving night, Stacie’s house*_ **

Aubrey took Stacie up on her invitation and actually got to the house well before dinner time. They spent the afternoon together in the kitchen. They prepped and cooked together while they indulged in a few glasses of wine. The moms took turns to check up on Cassie, who was in the lounge watching tv and playing with her toys. It all felt very domestic, which scared Stacie just a tiny bit. She hasn't had another set of hands help her around the house like this since Luke passed. She wasn't sure if it was something she wanted to get used to because although her and Aubrey loved to banter and relentlessly flirted with each other all the time, nothing ever came of it. So she wasn't sure where they stood. 

Was she attracted to Aubrey? OF COURSE. Did she swoon each time she interacted with Cassie? DEFINITELY. Did she want to throw Aubrey against a wall and kiss her senseless each time the blonde flirted with her? HELL.FREAKING.YES.

But did she want more? Was she even  _ready_ for more? Was she ready to start dating again? Did she even remember _how_ to go on a date? It's been a very long time since the last time she was on a first date. She was married to Luke for four years and was with him for two years before that. She couldn't remember what the beginning stages looked like anymore.

Stacie really tried to ignore the way she felt. She didn't want to over complicate their friendship.

Still, she couldn't help but melt at the way the blonde interacted with Cassie at the dinner table. The two were absolutely taken with each other. They were like two peas in a pod. It actually made Stacie miss Wulfie. Her and the little guy always had their own little conversation whenever they were together. They had their own little world each time they talked and if she were being honest, she really grew to love him over the past month.

After dinner, the three settled on the couch and watched Lego Harry Potter (much to Stacie's dismay. Aubrey secretly loved anything Harry Potter related so she was fine about it.)

Cassie was snuggled between the two women, her head was resting on Stacie's lap and her legs were propped on Aubrey's. About thirty minutes into the movie (if you can even call it that) Aubrey sighed and said "This is making me miss Wulfric."

"Me too."

"Me threee!" Cassie piped. She then moved to lay her head on Aubrey's lap instead, she grabbed the woman's hand and pulled it around herself. "Here mama I can be Wulfie for a few hours!"  

Aubrey's eyes widened at being called "mama" but the small, strangled squeal Stacie made quickly assured her that it was something to swoon over and not worry over. So she looked over at her favorite pair of green eyes and they both visibly melted at how cute Castielle was being. "What about your mommy Cas? Won't she miss you while your playing Wulfie for a night?"

The toddler looked over at her mom and wordlessly propped both her legs on her lap. It was her silent compromise. Stacie shook her head in disbelief. 

"She adores you."

The blonde only smiled in response.

Aubrey felt like she was in a dream. It felt like her house, Stacie felt like her girlfriend, and Cassie felt like her daughter. But in reality they weren't. Even though she desperately wanted those things to be true, they just weren't. She felt at home whenever she was with Stacie and Cassie. She missed her son greatly and in the beginning of the day her separation anxiety really took over her mind but by the end of dinner she found herself feeling at peace with being away from her son. 

The blonde learned a lot of things throughout the day. She learned that her small crush was more than just a crush. She learned that she was more than just fond of Cassie but she grew to love the little diva. She learned she wanted more with them. She wanted more than just flirty comments and playful bantering with Stacie. She wanted more than just a couple of minutes together at the end of her work day with Cassie. She wanted everything that she felt to become a reality. She just didn't where to begin. 

Aubrey's thoughts were interrupted when she heard Castielle's loud snores. She looked down and saw the girl was fast asleep, with her mouth slightly opened. 

"Aaaannnnnd she's down for the count."

She heard Stacie say but she kept her gaze on the sleeping beauty on her lap. She placed a soft kiss on the little girl's forehead. The gesture made Stacie's heart swell. "Here Bree, I'll go put her upstairs."

Aubrey looked at her and smiled, "May I? I'm in better position to carry her anyway."

"Good call." Stacie nodded and dreamily watched as the blonde swiftly and expertly maneuvered the sleeping three year old in her arms and got up the couch without so much as a groan of protest from Cas.

"Upstairs, second door to the right, right?" Aubrey whispered. 

"Mhm. I'll go make us some coffee. Meet me in the kitchen?"

"Okay."

She carefully made her way up to the room. Being that Stacie's home was a mini mansion she really had to work hard to get to Cassie's room without breaking a sweat or being too huffy, she didn't want to wake the little girl. It was moments like this that made her thankful for all the cardio and conditioning she put herself through throughout the years. Once she got to her destination she gently placed the little girl in her bed and tucked her in. She placed one last kiss on her forehead and bid her goodnight. She was about to let when she felt Cassie reach out for her.

"Aubeey?" Cassie croaked sleepily.

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Thank you." 

"For what lovebug?"

"For letting me lay on your lap. I haven't seen my daddy all day today and I miss him too like you miss Wulfie."

At the mention of missing her dad, Aubrey's heart broke. She knew all about the little girl's imaginary friend and how it provided her comfort and joy. Tears began prickling her eyes. This sweet little angel lost her dad, in the most unexpected and tragic way. And her mother lost her husband. Yet they were both still so full of light and love, it was easy for everyone to forget just how big their loss was. 

She wiped her tears and enveloped Cassie in a warm hug. "Your father is always with you baby girl. Even when you can't see him. And it's perfectly normal to miss him. Okay?"

She felt Cassie nod against her. "I want a lullaby song mama."

"Okay lovebug." Aubrey adored how needy and comfortable the three year old was with her. She loved how much she trusted her already. The blonde tightened her grip and gently swayed them as she sang. 

 

 

 

 

>  
> 
> When the pain cuts you deep 
> 
> and when the night keeps you from sleeping
> 
> Just look and you will see that I will be your remedy.
> 
> When the world seems so cruel
> 
> and your heart makes you feel like a fool
> 
> I promise you will see
> 
> That I will be, I will be your remedy.
> 
> I will be your remedy.

 

Aubrey repeated those words until she felt Castielle drift off into sleep. She gently laid her back down and tucked her in again. 

Luke arrived not too long after she started singing and watched as the blonde lulled his daughter to sleep. And for the first time since becoming her guardian angel, he didn't feel helpless. Because now there was a new set of physical arms comforting his little girl. His touch only provided feelings of peace but physical touch provided something more. They provided something real and tangible. Something his loved ones can hold on to. Something he could no longer provide.

He waited until the blonde was done singing before he moved towards her. He touched her shoulder and when he saw the blonde visibly relax at his touch, he smiled. _"Thank you Aubrey."_

He repaid her the only thing he could, a temporary feeling of peace and comfort.  

**_______________________ **

 

"Hey."

"Hey." Stacie smiled as Aubrey entered the kitchen. "Took you a while, I thought you got lost." 

The blonde chuckled and settled into one of the stools by the kitchen island, "I almost did. This place is huge."

"Meh, you get used to it. I get all my daily steps out of the way just getting Cassie and I ready for the day!"

Aubrey laughed in response.

"Coffee?"

"Uhm," She bit her lip. "Do you actually have anything stronger? It's been one hell of a day."

"Ooooh, Judge Posen you little drunky!" Stacie teased. "I have only have cheap rum in the fridge, you want that?"

Aubrey deadpanned, "You're a millionaire and you can't afford top shelf alcohol?"

"Hey! I don't usually keep hard liquor in the house ok!"

"I'm only teasing. The cheap rum will be fine."

The brunette stuck her tongue out at the blonde and took the rum out of the fridge. She pulled out six shot glasses and filled each one to the brim. "We're gonna take three shots each. One for the past. One for the future. And one for presently being total badasses at this single parenthood thing!"

"I'll definitely drink to that. Cheers."

They threw each shot back like the pros that they were and only winced and groaned in disgust after all three shots were consumed.

"That was so fucking gross Stace..."

The brunette giggled. "I know. I'm sorry."

They both laughed and fell into conversation seamlessly. They talked about work. Shared stories of their colleagues and different encounters with their kids' weird as hell teacher, Ms. Esther or Lilly? They were never really sure. They laughed over ridiculous things Cassie or Wulfie said and did. They even shared some pictures from when they were still babies. 

"Cassie was such a little chunky monkey." Aubrey gushed. 

"Yeah she was." Stacie swiped to the next picture and her breath hitched. They stared at the photo for a while, a small smile on both their faces. The photo showed Castielle's toothless smile and her face squished up against a smiling Luke Stroma. 

"I take it that's her father." The blonde stated in a hushed tone. Afraid to break Stacie out of her reverie. 

"Yup. That's Luke."

Aubrey didn't really know what else to say. Stacie didn't seem to be negatively effected by the picture. She only had a look of pure adoration and nostalgia on her face. She waited until the brunette spoke up. She wanted Stacie to steer and lead the conversation.

For the next hour, Stacie confided in the blonde. She told the story of how her and Luke met. She opened up about Luke's death. About how she still saw a therapist once every other week. About how she had to move away from New York so she could move on with her life. About how she would sometimes see him when she'd be somewhere between being awake and being asleep, but only whenever Cassie was with her. She talked about how she finally felt at peace with what happened. She wasn't fully healed and she may never be, but she confessed to Aubrey about how she has finally allowed herself to hope. To hope for a better and brighter future. For herself and for her daughter. To hope for love again. To hope for a full family again. To hope for a new beginning with a new person... 

Stacie wasn't sure if Aubrey was reading her hints all that well. Granted, opening up about her dead husband then going on to drop hints about how she hoped for a new relationship with Aubrey probably wasn't a good idea. Her intentions had a high chance of getting lost in translation. She decided maybe tonight wasn't the right time to confess her feelings for the blonde and moved on.

_The right time will come eventually._

At the end of their conversation Aubrey thought it was safe to provide some sort of comedic relief. So she voiced the first thought that entered her brain upon seeing the picture, "Soo.. you really do have an affinity for blondes huh?"

Aubrey was met with a genuine Stacie Conrad laugh and a good natured glare. "Really? I'm here pouring my heart and soul to you and the first thing you say is that?" She shook her head and bit her lip. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Aubrey smiled.

"I told you my baggage. What about yours? What's your story? What has the great Aubrey Posen overcome? And most importantly, what's the deal between you and the redhead? And why did Wulfie tell me his Mama and his Mommy are 'the bestest friends?' Also, speaking of Wulfie, why the HELL did you guys name him after Dumbledore?"

The blonde rolled her eyes and sighed. "It's gonna be a long night.. I'm gonna need another drink."

 

 


	4. Love in the Dark (Chaubrey)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback chapter!  
> Features Chaubrey's history and the use of rpw2018's High School theme.  
> Also.... MySpace.

**FLASHBACK: Barden High School. Freshman year.**  

Aubrey Posen and Chloe Beale were two completely different people. They didn't have the same group of friends. They dressed differently. They had different personalities and different reputations. The only thing they did have in common was drama... for 6th period. The last period of the day and the least hardest class for both girls. 

Given the fact that they really had nothing to bond over the two spent most of their freshman year not saying more than a few sentences to each other at a time. Throughout the year, they shared polite interactions during class and flashed a tight lipped smile at each other in the hallways, but that was the extent of their relationship.

Sometime in the middle of the year Chloe came out as a lesbian and it was all anyone talked about for a good week. Aubrey thought it was brave. She even envied the other girl a bit, Chloe just seemed so sure of herself and so care free. She truly admired the red head. But despite her feelings of admiration, Aubrey never initiated a conversation with her. In fact, they didn't even have a real conversation until the very last day of their freshman year.

They were only twenty minutes away from the end of the class and the end of the school year. Only a handful of people actually bothered to show up to 6th period and Chloe and Aubrey were among that handful. Aubrey was impatiently looking at the clock and shaking her leg while she stared the clock down. She couldn't wait to get out of that hell hole. She was so focused on the clock that she barely registered the loud noise of a soda can dropping and liquid being spilled everywhere. 

"Holy shit Chlo, I'm so sorry!" A boy said loudly. 

This finally caught Aubrey's attention and she looked over at the boy. "It's cool, I'll clean it up."

Aubrey watched as the boy picked up the can from the floor and threw it in the trashcan, but instead of helping Chloe clean the mess, he sat back down and resumed talking to his friends. 

_"What a moron."_ Aubrey thought. She looked back at Chloe and her heart broke a little. The red head was on the floor desperately trying to clean up the mess with some flimsy tissues she had in her bag. When the blonde saw that no one else was going to help, not even the teacher, she got up and walked over to Chloe. _"Useless idiots."_

When she got close enough, Chloe looked up at her and smiled. 

"What're you doing?" Aubrey asked. Her tone coming off a little sterner than she intended.

"Uhm? I'm cleaning?" The redhead frowned. _"Bitch what does it look like I'm doing?"_

"Yeah, I can see that. But I mean like why? Nathan was the one who spilled it, he should be cleaning the mess."

"Oh, I know! But it was my drink and I feel bad." Chloe pouted. 

Aubrey couldn't help but smile at that. "You're too nice, Beale. Here let me help. I'll go get some paper towels from the restroom. BRB!" She headed out the door and face palmed once she realized it. _"Did I say BRB out loud? Like in an actual sentence??? UGH. Way to conform to the normal teenage slang Aubrey."_

When she got back to the classroom she handed Chloe some sheets of paper towels and the two quickly worked to clean up the mess.

"This is gonna get so sticky." Chloe chuckled.

"Oh! I have water, hold on." She went to her desk and pulled out her water bottle from her bag. "Here, we just have to pour some on the floor then wipe it down again and voilaaaaa." Aubrey sang the last word and beamed at the other girl. 

Chloe blushed, "Thanks Aubrey. I really appreciate it."

"It's not a big deal. I'm happy to help." 

They got done right as the bell rang and they found themselves staring at the clock for a few moments. 

"I'll see around Chloe."

"You too, have a great summer."

"You as well."

Later that night, Chloe Beale sat in front of her computer with her bottom lip snagged between her teeth. She's been staring at Aubrey's myspace page for the past forty minutes trying to build up the courage to hit the "Send Friend Request" button. She received a notification in her mailbox and when she clicked on the "New Friend Request" button a huge grin took over her face. 

She quickly accepted the request and went to the comments section of Aubrey's page. 

**"Hey! Thanks for the add! =] I was just about to send you a request too! ROFL XD**

**Anyway, thanks again for helping me earlier! You're nicer than you look Posen! I gtg but don't be a stranger! Ttyl <3"**

She hovered over the send button for a few moments before going back and replacing the "<3" with a "=D"

Chloe took a deep breath and hit send. She quickly shot up out of her seat and paced in front of her computer before finally turning it off and got ready for bed. 

Aubrey replied with an equally cheesy comment the next day and the two started privately messaging each other. They exchanged AIM screen names and phone numbers and spent the entire summer before their sophomore year commenting on each other's bulletin posts, photos, and blog posts on myspace. They chatted on AIM every day. And texted whenever they weren't home, but not too much texting because they didn't have unlimited texts and their parents would KILL them if they went over their limit. 

They found that they, surprisingly, had a lot of common interests. They got _especially_ close after learning how much of a huge Harry Potter fanatic they both were and within the first month of summer vacation, they mutually agreed to put each other in the last slot on their respective Top 8 list. As the summer went on they hung out more often. They went to the mall, stayed at each other's houses, visited different museums, went to the park, had coffee dates at starbucks, and as their friendship grew they slowly advanced in their slot placements. 

By the end of the summer, they were officially best friends and officially the first person on each other's top 8. (A person's Top 8 was very important okay. It was serious business. The entire world needed to know the top 8 friends you loved from most to least.)

A lot of people seemed a little shocked at the unlikely friendship but no one really paid much mind to it. Some thought it was cute, and others thought they were secretly a couple. But none of that really bothered the pair. 

They were in complete bliss.

 

***Sophomore & Junior year***

Throughout the next two years Aubrey and Chloe were inseparable. They talked every single day and they knew everything about each other. How they liked their coffee, how they liked their food cooked, what each facial expression meant, they knew about each other's hopes and dreams. They were so close, they blurred the lines of friendship and relationship. 

They affectionately called each other "babe", they were very touchy in public and in private, they openly called each other beautiful and sexy, they had a lot of pictures of them kissing each other's cheeks. And though Aubrey identified as straight and dated a couple guys here and there, people still believed the rumor that they were dating. 

It never bothered them. Because they were confident in their friendship and loved each other deeply. They didn't let petty rumors get in the way or make things weird or awkward between them. 

Since not a lot of girls at their school were out, Chloe took to myspace to find more queer friends. The summer before their junior year she got close to a girl online named Beca Mitchell. She was nothing like Chloe but the two got to talking and bonded over the fact that they're one of the only out girls in their respective schools. Beca was the typical early 2000s scene/emo kid. She wrote songs and poems about life and her struggles. She had the choppy layered hair with the side bangs. She had a bunch of different piercings. She wore way too much eye liner and her skin looked like it never saw the light of day.

Beca only lived the next town over, so they met up and hung out a few times throughout the summer. Chloe thought she was so cool, and so deep and in tune with herself. By the time Junior year started the scene kid slotted number two on the red head's top 8. If people thought Aubrey would feel threatened... she didn't. She was in fact pretty oblivious to the growing friendship between Chloe and Beca.

The three of them got along well, much to the red head's delight.

And even though Aubrey initially said, "She's a little too rawr X D for me."

She didn't shy away from hanging out with Beca. She, too, found her interesting. She loved her lyrics and her poems. She genuinely thought the tiny pale brunette was very talented. In fact, the two got along so well they even made it on each other's top list. 

In the middle of their junior year Aubrey confided in Beca about her sexuality. She didn't want to talk to Chloe because she wanted to talk to someone who was a little bit out of the picture. After some self evaluation and soul searching, she realized she was bi. She was sexually attracted to both men and women. She come out or told many people. She only chose to share the information to a few of her close friends.

When she came to Chloe about this revelation she was ecstatic. The three of them even went out and had dinner together. 

As the final quarter of junior year trudged on, the blonde noticed how close Beca and Chloe have become and a part of her questioned if the two were dating. Whenever she tried to confront Chloe about it, the red head would blush and dismiss the idea. Stating that the brunette was way too good for her. 

 

>   _"She's like.. super poetic and talented! I'm just.. blah."_
> 
> _"What do you mean just blah? Chlo, you're amazing! And if you like her I think you should go for it."_
> 
> _"Oh my god, Bree for the millionth time, I don't like her."_
> 
> _"Okay babe. Whatever you say." Aubrey smiled knowingly._

 

But in reality, Aubrey wasn't in the know. She was completely oblivious.  

  

> _"You should tell Bree how you feel Red."_
> 
> _"No way! It'll ruin our friendship."_
> 
> _"Maybe she feels the same way? I see the way she looks at you.."_
> 
> _"She doesn't Becs. And she looks at me like that because I'm her best friend. She loves me.. just not the way I want her to."_
> 
> _"Yeah, I know how that feels like..."_

 

***Senior Year***

Chloe's feelings for Aubrey reached an intense peak. In her desperate attempt to get over her feelings, she spent the entire summer before their senior year in Portland with her grandparents and tried to avoid the blonde as much as possible. Aubrey, being the oblivious idiot that she was, noted how detached the red head was during the summer but didn't really think much of it. 

 

Her and Beca hung out a few times and she was surprised to hear that the two were in constant contact.

 

> _"Hmmm. That's weird. She barely speaks to me."_
> 
> _"Oh.. well we mostly talk on myspace and mostly at night. She works at this local ice cream shop during most of the day and because of the time difference, it's already pretty late here by the time she gets off."_
> 
> _"I see... Maybe I should try staying up a little later so I can catch her when she's online."_
> 
> _"Yeah! Do that!"_
> 
> _"Cool. I'll try tonight."_
> 
> _"Hey, Bree."_
> 
> _"Yeah?"_
> 
> _"Do you miss her?"_
> 
> _"A lot. It's weird, we've never been apart. I'm... I feel so empty without her here."_
> 
> _"You should tell her."_

 

Aubrey tried to reach out to Chloe online multiple times but their conversations never lasted for more than a few minutes. Chloe would either claim that she was tired, or she would find some sort of excuse to stop the conversation. The blonde didn't know what to do. She was at her wits end. She was frustrated because it seemed like she was slowly losing her best friend and the thought drove her crazy. Chloe was her rock. She made her better. She made her happy. The thought of losing that bond? It broke Aubrey down. 

The blonde's resolve and patience came crashing down when she saw Beca's bulletin board post with a picture of Chloe and herself hanging out at a starbucks. She thought maybe it was an old picture but the title of the post said, "Look who's finally back =P"

She clicked on Chloe's page to send her a quick message when she noticed that she was no long on the number one spot. Beca was. 

Aubrey.saw.red. 

She marched over to the Beale's house and knocked on their door loudly and angrily. It was only four in the afternoon so she knew Chloe would be home alone and that picture was posted this morning so she knew Chloe surely made it back home by now. RIGHT? She knocked again a few more times. 

When the door finally swung open and she saw Chloe standing before her, it took a lot of her self control not to jump into her best friends arms. Instead, she fumed. She stormed inside the house and glared at the red head.

 

> _"WHAT THE HELL CHLOE?"_
> 
> _"Uhm, hi to you too Bree."_
> 
> _"No, don't 'hi to you too Bree' me! Why the fuck have you been avoiding me?"_
> 
> _"I haven't bee-"_
> 
> _"BULLSHIT!"_
> 
> _"I stayed up late multiple times so we could catch up but each time you found excuses to leave! Yet you and Beca still talked for hours I bet! And then! After the entire summer without you and missing you I find out that you're back in town without so much of a text or a call from you! AND ON TOP OF THAT! I get replaced as number one? What the hell? If you and Beca have something going on just stop lying and tell me the truth! Please! Because I honestly-"_
> 
> _Chloe cut her off with a searing kiss. A desperate, needy, sloppy kiss._
> 
> _When the shock wore off, Aubrey kissed back. Just as desperate and needy. Chloe broke the kiss first but they still held on to each other. They locked eyes and for the first time in three years, the blurred lines between them became as clear as day._
> 
> _"Oh...."_
> 
> _"Yeah Bree.. 'oh'.."_
> 
> _"How long?"_
> 
> _"Freshman year. Last day of school. 6th period."_
> 
> _"Why didn't you say anything sooner?"_
> 
> _"I didn't want to ruin our friendship. I still don't want to ruin our friendship, but if you hate me for ignoring you for an entire summer then kissing you out of the blue... then I'll understand if you want nothing to do with me."_
> 
> _"What? No way.. no matter what happens between us, I'll always be your best friend. I promise. I can't imagine my life without you. I love you no matter what Chloe."_
> 
> _"Okay."_
> 
> _"But."_
> 
> _"But?"_
> 
> _"I want us to be more that just friends now..."_
> 
> _"Finally."_
> 
>  

 

 

 

***Los Angeles, February/2016. Chloe and Aubrey's house.***  

 

> _"This isn't working Bree."_
> 
> _"I know."_
> 
> _"We've tried so hard.."_
> 
> _"I know."_
> 
> _"We went to counseling, we had a baby, we went to more counseling, we moved to a new city.."_
> 
> _"I know.."_
> 
> _"But."_
> 
> _"But?"_
> 
> _"We've changed."_
> 
> _"We have."_
> 
> _"We're not the same people we fell in love with in high school."_
> 
> _"And this just isn't working anymore."_
> 
> _"It's not, and I'd rather raise our son separately than have him grow up with his mommies constantly fighting, Bree."_
> 
> _"I know. I completely agree. I think we forced ourselves to stay together for so long because we were so afraid of losing each other and now, now that we have a son, we can't force the relationship anymore. Not if we want him to grow up in a happy household."_
> 
> _"Agreed."_
> 
> _"So..."_
> 
> _"So where do we go from here?"_
> 
> _"We can file for divorce and we'll work from there. Maybe it'd be best to not talk to each other, I heard it helps during the divorce process."_
> 
> _"For how long? Like forever? I still need you in my life. I don't think I can-"_
> 
> _"Hey, we have a son together. You're stuck with me remember? It'll take some time but I know, eventually, we'll find our way back to being best friends."_
> 
> _"Okay."_
> 
> _"Chlo?"_
> 
> _"Yeah?"_
> 
> _The room was quiet for a few seconds as they laid next to each other in the dark. Aubrey reached for her wife's hand for what could possibly be the last time and Chloe pulled the blonde into her arms. Their bodies immediately melted at the contact and they silently cried while they desperately held each other close. Both trying to convey their feelings without words._
> 
> _"I love you so much baby. I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry. "_
> 
> _"Don't apologzie Chlo. Please. This isn't your fault. We tried, we did everything we could. It just wasn't meant to be." Aubrey pressed her lips against her forehead._
> 
> _This only intensified Chloe's sobs as she let herself be held by the blonde, let herself remember how it feels to be held by her._
> 
> _This wasn't how it was supposed to end. A lot of people thought they got married too young, maybe they were right. Maybe they only stayed together for so long because of familiarity, or stubbornness,  or pride. And even though they've hurt each other with their words and petty actions, even after battling it out for years upon years, she would do it all over again. She wouldn't have changed a thing because Aubrey was still the love of her life. She's the mother of her child. Her high school sweetheart. Her best friend._
> 
> _"I love you no matter what, Chloe Beale."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry to all the chaubrey shippers if this didn't do the ship justice. This was my first time writing for them lol Feel free to yell at me.


	5. The Proposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things finally pick up between Stacie and Aubrey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ngl I totally forgot about this story! lol but I'm working on finishing all my WIPs 
> 
> ssooooo, enjoy :)

After opening up about their past and finishing off the rest of Stacie's cheap rum, Aubrey and Stacie found themselves drunkenly cuddled up on the couch. It was completely innocent. They didn't get too touchy or tried to make any moves. They just laid there together, completely content and comfortable.

How it happened and who initiated it was unclear, but neither women cared enough to fuss over the details.  

"You're so comfy and warm." Aubrey giggled as she nuzzled further against Stacie's chest. 

Stacie relished in the sound of Aubrey's voice and the warmth of Aubrey's body. She couldn't help the cheeky grin on her face, "It's the couch. It can fit two people comfortably and I think it's made out of memory foam or something? So our bodies literally just sink into it. I love this couch." 

"God bless this couch."

"God bless America!" Stacie slurred.

"But not Trump."

"Yeah, not him."

"God bless the rest of us though!" Aubrey giggled. 

Stacie stifled a yawn and laughed lowly. Her head was spinning because of the alcohol and the pit of her stomach was filled with butterflies, but she didn't pay much mind to it. The alcohol freed her from the barriers of her anxiety. it allowed her to enjoy the moment of intimacy with Aubrey without questioning everything. 

Aubrey, on the other hand, was far drunker than Stacie was. The only thing she was thinking about was falling asleep. Specifically, falling asleep all cozy and wrapped up in Stacie's arms. 

"Aubrey?" Stacie spoke, voice small.

"Hm?"

"I had fun today." 

"Me too. Thanks for inviting me." Aubrey said, her lips curling up into a small smile. 

"I'm glad you came. And thanks for coming early to help out. You didn't have to." She felt Aubrey shrug her shoulders.

"It's the least I can do. You feed Wulfie every day."

Stacie hummed, "We should hang out more."

"We hang out all the time. You and Cassie even come over for brunch some Sundays."

"Yeah but I want-" Stacie hesitated, searching her mind for the right words to say- "more? I know we see each other every day but it just doesn't feel enough. We only see each other in passing and most of the time we're both too tired to engage in a real conversation."

Stacie closed her eyes and tried really hard to gather her thoughts. She didn't want to confess too much, not in the drunken state they were in. "I guess, I just really like being around you.... guys. And tonight was really fun, I'd like more nights like this."

Aubrey felt how nervous Stacie was and she found it rather endearing. "I feel the same way." She wanted to say more but her mind was getting foggy and her eyes were droopy, all she could do was tighten her grip around her waist and repeat her words, hoping her sincerity would show. "I feel the _exact_ same way."

"Good." Stacie smiled. 

They were beating around the bush, sure. But neither of them felt like it was the right time or place to say anything to each other. They let their actions speak for themselves and hoped it was enough.

A few minutes passed in silence and the sound of Stacie's heartbeat was lulling Aubrey to sleep. She felt Stacie's breath even out and was certain the brunette had dozed off. She cautiously shifted and nuzzled Stacie's neck. The lack of movement or response from Stacie only confirmed that she had, in fact, fallen asleep. 

Aubrey tilted her head and placed a soft kiss on Stacie's jawline, right underneath her ear. She settled back to her previous position and closed her eyes, finally giving into her exhaustion.

"Goodnight Stacie." She whispered in a raspy voice, and fell asleep almost immediately.

The last thing she thought about before she fell asleep, was how she could get used to falling asleep to the sound of Stacie's heart and the feeling of Stacie's arms loosely wrapped around her. 

 

 

* * *

 

  

 

**DECEMBER: Fake dating, real feelings?**

 

  

"YOU DID WHAT???"

Aubrey cringed at Stacie's shrill response, "I PANICKED! SHE KEPT BUGGING ME AND ASKING ME IF WE WERE TOGETHER!"

"And your response was to lie to her?" Stacie shrieked over the phone. 

"I panicked!" Aubrey was pacing back and forth in her bedroom, biting her fingernails as she did.

"Why didn't you just tell her the truth?"

"Because, I know Chloe, if she knew we were just friends, she'd spend the next three weeks bugging me about us! I already know she'd be making stupid googly eyes at me whenever you're around! She'd basically try everything imaginable to set us up while she's here!" 

"Well, would that be a _bad_ thing?" Stacie cautioned.

Aubrey's eyes widened at Stacie's dejected tone. "Of course not! it wouldn't be a bad thing, at all! It's just-" Aubrey pinched the bridge of her nose and plopped down on her bed- "Chloe's annoying and persistent. And the last thing I need is my ex-wife crediting herself for us finally getting together."

Granted, her plan wasn't really a solid one. It was the kind of plan that could potentially go very wrong. But she was desperate. She only had a week before Chloe was due to visit and she didn't want three weeks of her best friend/ EX-WIFE, of all people, berating her about her love life (or lack there of).

Aubrey knew it was mostly because Chloe cared about her happiness and partly because Chloe felt guilty for moving on so quickly. Which was ridiculous, because she was happy for her, really. She was happy for her and Beca.

Did she feel betrayed and hurt at first? OF COURSE. The three of them have been friends for years. Beca was one of Aubrey closest friends! She was Chloe's maid of honor at their wedding and their son's godmother. How could she not feel betrayed?

But, after wrongly accusing Chloe of cheating, wrongly accusing Beca of homewrecking, and after a ton of therapy sessions, Aubrey re-evaluated her entire relationship with Chloe. And in retrospect, Aubrey saw the huge flaw in what _she thought_ was the perfect relationship: lack of individualism.

They were best friends before they became a couple. They were together for so long that they forgot who they were **without**  each other. The relationship became suffocating, and Aubrey became controlling while Chloe became way too insecure. In the end, it just didn't work out. 

Aubrey was happy with how her life has been going following their divorce. She felt free, she felt like she could finally breathe, and un-apologetically chase after her career goals without having to worry about Chloe sacrificing her own career aspirations.

Aubrey was fine being single, she had Wulfie to keep her company and found a really amazing friend in Stacie (whether or not she had a crush on the other woman was beside the point). It was _Chloe_ who seemed to mind a great deal. 

"HELLO?" Stacie's booming voice snapped Aubrey out of her thoughts, "Earth to Posen?" 

Aubrey heaved a long sigh and switched the phone to her other ear, "Sorry! I'm sorry! I had to check up on a work email really quick." Aubrey tried to sound as apologetic as possible, hoping Stacie bought her excuse. 

"Oh, ok. Do you need to me to call back or?"

"No, no. Continue." Aubrey encouraged. 

"Okaaayyyy?" Stacie breathed. But decided not to pry. "I was saying, what if this all backfires? What if the kids say something? Or what if they start asking all these questions! Like why we're holding hands and kissing all of a sudden?! And what about the next time Chloe visits? Do we just keep lying to her EACH AND EVERY TIME SHE COMES TO TOWN?" Stacie's voice got louder and her tone hitched a few notches up on the panic-o-meter, the more she thought about the possible negative outcomes.

"Stace, calm down." Aubrey cooed.

"I am calm!"

"Stacie, please..." She pleaded soothingly. She heard the brunette inhale and exhale a few times on the other line.

When she finally spoke up, Stacie seemed a lot calmer. "Okay, I'm good. Go ahead"

"Thank you." Aubrey smiled, even though the other woman couldn't see. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Wulfie never notices anything besides food and his toys, Cas already thinks you wanna marry me so she won't really think anything's out of the ordinary-"

"True" Stacie agreed, over Aubrey's argument.

"-And we don't really have to kiss. We'll hold hands and maybe share quick pecks on the cheek, but we won't have to actually kiss. Chloe knows I'm not into much PDA in the beginning of relationships anyway, so she won't question it."

Stacie hummed in response.

"Do you feel better about the plan now?" Aubrey asked hopefully. 

"So, we don't have to kiss in front of them?"

"Nope!"

"Okay, good!" Stacie said in relief. "Because lying to your ex and pretending to be your girlfriend was **not**  how I imagined our first kiss to go down." She chuckled, her voice back to its regular upbeat tone.

Aubrey's stomach flipped at Stacie's words and she grinned widely, thankful they were on the phone, so Stacie couldn't see her reactions. She settled further into bed before speaking, "Not how you imagined our first kiss? Hm." Aubrey cleared her throat, "So, you've been thinking about kissing me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Stacie quipped.

The blonde scoffed, "I hate when you say that."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"Noooo, you like it. It's a flirty challenge. Aubrey Posen loves being seduced this way." Stacie countered, smoothly. 

"You're ridiculous."

"Again, just another thing you like about me."

"You're so full of it!" Aubrey rolled her eyes good-naturedly. 

"You enjoy it though! That's why you keep me around." Stacie winked, despite being on the phone and Aubrey not being able to see what she was doing.

"No, I keep you around because I don't like paying the ridiculously high baby sitting bill."

"Suuuuuuure. I think the fake dating plan is just your way of making sure we still see each other while the kids are on holiday break."

At the mention of her fake dating proposition, Aubrey was pulled back to the task at-hand. "So, you'll do it?"

"I'll think about it." Stacie teased.

"Come on, you owe me!"

It was Stacie's turn to scoff, "Owe you for what?"

"For holding the door open for you at orientation! Remember? You said if I ever needed anything, just ask! This is me asking!"

"So splitting the babysitting bill, feeding your son everyday after school, my daughter's life-saving hugs, and my beautiful friendship wasn't enough to repay my debt!?"

"Oh god, fine. I'm hanging up on you. I'll just ask Ashley to do it. Byyee-"

"WHAT? HEY NO! WAIT!"

Aubrey smiled triumphantly, "Mhm?"

"First of all Ashley's _married_. And secondly, I'll do it, ONLY if I get to choose our story."

"What story?"

"Of how we got together."

"Fine. Deal."

"Yaaaas!" Stacie grinned.

"You're a child." Aubrey groaned.

"Whatever. I'm just happy I have an excuse to finally get to hold Aubrey Posen's hand."

"You never needed an excuse to hold my hand Dr. Conrad." Was Aubrey's flirty response.

"Oooh, I love when you talk dirty to me, Judge Posen."

The blonde crinkled her nose in mild disgust, "You ruined it with the Judge Posen part." She heard Stacie let out a dramatic sigh.

"Why is it okay for you to call me doctor, but I can't call you judge?"

"Because it's weird! I feel like I'm about to give you a sentencing or something."

Stacie smiled smugly, there were sooo many innuendos swirling in her mind, _so many_. "Uhhhhhh," Stacie drawled, "just for clarification, you're saying: I can't call you Judge Posen because you automatically imagine me in handcuffs when I say it? Wow. I mean, really? WOW!"

"Oh god," Aubrey groaned loudly, "you WOULD go there."

"You're so kinky. I love it."

"I hate you so much right now."

Stacie laughed in response and Aubrey rolled her eyes.

"I'm gonna go to sleep. Thanks again for agreeing with my crazy plan!"

"No worries. And good night JUDGE POS-."

"Good niiiiiiight, Stacie!" Aubrey sang before hanging up on Stacie abruptly. 

Stacie threw her phone to the side and grinned up at the ceiling. She bit her lip at the thought of the next couple of weeks. Even though she was alone, she still suppressed the need to squeal like a love struck, excited teenager. Maybe Aubrey's fake dating idea could work for her benefit as well. Maybe this was finally her chance to show Aubrey how much she meant to Stacie. 

She sighed and closed her eyes, finally giving into her exhaustion. 

The last thought that occupied her mind before she drifted off, was how she'd be completely content if Aubrey's voice was the last thing she heard before she fell asleep every night.

 

 


	6. What Idiots Do Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are having as much fun with this story as I am :)  
> Enjoy!  
> And thank you for the love, always<3

**December: Holiday Break with Chloe Beale**

**_Sunday Morning._**

Stacie and Aubrey were standing side by side in front of the stove, Aubrey was working on the final batch of pancakes, and Stacie was plating the final batch of eggs. The brunette turned to place the food on the dining table, then expertly maneuvered around the kitchen to finish setting up. After spending almost every Sunday at the Posen Residence for breakfast, she already knew where everything was and finished the rest of the task with ease. She felt Aubrey's hand on the small of her back, urging her to scoot over, and a coy smile crept on her face when Aubrey snaked her hand around her waist, firmly settling it on her hip.

Aubrey pulled Stacie close as she leaned forward to set the plate of pancakes down. She was about to grab the bacon out of the oven, but before she could do so, Stacie caught hold of her hand and pulled her towards herself. She gingerly placed her hands on Aubrey's waist, and let out a content sigh.

Stacie’s eyes were trained on Aubrey's lips, she wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them and kiss the blonde, but instead, she only leaned in ever so slightly. 

There was a pause, and a silent challenge hung in the air between them. Who would be the first one to break? Who would be the first one to finally close the distance?

Aubrey, ever the competitive one, decided to push the challenge even further by running her fingers across Stacie's lips. The action sent shivers down Stacie’s spine, and Aubrey had to keep from smirking at the goofy grin on the surgeon’s face.

"You're not playing fair, Posen." Stacie said in a low, sultry voice.

She wrapped her arms around Aubrey’s waist and pressed their bodies against each other. She then looked up and gazed into Aubrey’s eyes, urging the judge to make a move.  

Aubrey's resolve faltered, slightly, at the way Stacie was looking at her. So she deflected by inching closer and whispering in Stacie's ear, "Go grab the bacon before it burns, I'll go get the kids and Chloe." She retracted and bit her lip to keep from laughing at the way Stacie was pouting at her dramatically. "I’m serious! The food’s ready, we should eat before it gets cold.”

"Fiiiiiiiiine!" Stacie whined and rolled her eyes.

Aubrey threw her head back and laughed, "You're adorable when you're frustrated." 

"Well, apparently, not adorable enough for you to want to kiss me!"  

"That's what you think."

Stacie raised a brow, "Wait, what? What does that even mean?"

Aubrey shrugged in response, "Wouldn't you like to know?" She said with a smug look on her face.

"Wooooowwwww!" Was Stacie's shrill reply, "You can't use my own words against me!"

Both women laughed out loud at the sheer irony.

"It doesn't feel very nice does it?" 

A loud thud could be heard from the upstairs playroom and it effectively snapped them back to their current situation.

Aubrey playfully pushed Stacie towards the oven, "Stop playing around and go get the bacon! I have no qualms with telling Wulfric it's your fault if his bacon ends up burning."

Without giving it much thought, she leaned up and pressed a chaste kiss on Stacie's cheek.

"Time to go wrangle up the gang!" Aubrey said as she walked away.

"Good luck!"

Stacie watched on as the other woman disappeared up the stairs. Once Aubrey was out of sight, she let out a loud groan and tried to get rid of all the butterflies in her stomach by shaking her entire body.

"Control yourself, Stacie. You can't kiss her. Not yet. Get it together!" She mumbled to herself as she pulled the food out of the oven.

Unbeknownst to both Stacie and Aubrey, the close proximity had the same effect on them both. They each enjoyed the lingering touches, the flirting, and the adoring gazes. They loved it. They enjoyed it more than they were willing to admit.

Fake dating, especially between two good friends, may get super uncomfortable, but neither of them felt that way. Given the nature of their friendship, it didn't feel too much out of the ordinary for them. 

Things were getting a bit more interesting though, because there seemed to be an underlying challenge that formed between them: Who would break first? Who would relent? Who would make the first move? And for the love of God, WHO WOULD BE THE FIRST TO FINALLY GET THEIR HEAD OUT OF THEIR ASS AND FINALLY ASK THE OTHER ONE OUT ON A _REAL_ DATE ALREADY?

After months of beating around the bush, they're  _real_  feelings for each other were still kept under wraps. They still haven't acknowledged the growing sexual tension between them. Instead, they were both secretly hoping that the fake dating situation will  _finally_ cause one of them to give in.

But Aubrey and Stacie's pride, stubbornness, and competitiveness meant that it might take them longer to finally get to that point.  

A pair of doctorate degrees and a pair of insanely impressive career track-records between the two of them, yet they were both being **the biggest idiots**  on the face of the planet.

 

Aubrey walked up the stairs with a huge grin on her face, asking Stacie to be her pretend-girlfriend had its perks. Besides finally getting to act on her feelings- under the safe guise of fake dating- one huge perk, was how neither of them refrained from acting like a couple even when Chloe wasn't around. They were only on their fourth day of this charade and they’ve already shared multiple intimate moments alone; Multiple instances when all she wanted to do was kiss Stacie's stupid, beautiful face.

She didn't know how much longer she could take the teasing but she was willing to wait to find out. 

Aubrey turned the corner and peeked inside Wulfie's playroom. She silently watched as her son interacted with his mommy and his best friend, their backs turned away from her. She leaned against the door frame and smiled when the kids started giggling.

Her eyes landed on a familiar redhead, and her heart melted at how sweet Chloe was being with the kids. Aubrey was used to seeing Chloe with Wulfie, but Chloe and Cassie formed a budding relationship since she got into town. Which didn't surprise Aubrey that much. Chloe has always been the loving and nurturing type. It was one of the things she loved most about her.

Most divorced people couldn't stand being in the same room with their ex, let alone have them stay over for three weeks, but Aubrey was glad her and Chloe weren't like most people. They talked everyday, mostly because of Wulfie, but they still deeply cared for each other. They, surprisingly, got along really well since the divorce. The only bump was the whole Beca thing, but Aubrey got over it eventually, and they were on good terms now. 

"Food's ready guys." Aubrey piped up.

At the sound of her voice, all three of them turned and smiled at her adoringly. Aubrey's heart swelled at the sight. 

"Yaaayyyy!" The pair of three year olds screamed. Which startled Chloe.  

"Whoa." She croaked and held a hand to her chest. She looked over at the blonde, "That was loud."

A bright light appeared by where Aubrey was standing and Cassie shot up at the sight of her dad smiling down at her. She excitedly perked up, as they silently greeted each other the way they always did.

"They do that a lot. Get used to it." Aubrey smiled teasingly.

Cassie bounded towards the door, past Aubrey and Luke, she was about to head straight down the stairs when she heard Aubrey and her dad call out after her.

"Hold it!"

_"Cassie!"_

Castielle slowly turned back to the pair and gave the sweetest smile she could muster.

"Go wash your hands first, Cas."

"Do I haaaaave to?" The three year old whined in response. 

"Castielle..." Aubrey warned lightly.

_"Wash your hands love." Luke urged as he hovered over his daughter. "Go on."_

"I'm goiiiiing. I'm goiiiiiiiing." The little diva sighed dramatically as she walked away, with her father hovering in tow.

"Do you need me to help you reach the sink?" Aubrey called after her.

"I can use Wulfie's stool." Was the muffled, distant reply.

"Hey! That's my stool!" Wulfie fumed, and stormed towards Aubrey.

"There's enough room for the both of you to stand on, babes." 

"Oh.. right." Wulfie smiled up at his mom and clung onto her legs for a hug. "Did you make bacon mama?" He asked sweetly. 

"I sure did, my love!" Aubrey said. She leaned down and placed a loud kiss on her son's forehead before he ran off to follow Cassie.

Chloe smiled lovingly at the exchange, then proceeded to tidy up the playroom.

Sometimes, _a teeny, tiny_  part of her missed being married to Aubrey, especially whenever she saw the sweet interactions between mother and son. She was so proud of how well Aubrey was, single-handedly, raising Wulfie. But if Chloe were being honest, she felt like a spectator in her son's life. She missed the daily grind of motherhood. She missed cooking breakfast for them, running errands, taking Wulfie to the doctor, picking up Aubrey's dry cleaning, and cleaning up after Wulfie's mess. She missed the hustle and bustle aspects of being a mom.

A familiar combination of nostalgia, sadness, and guilt crashed over her at that thought. It wasn't easy for her, being away from her son for months at a time. It has, definitely, taken its toll. She never wanted to be that kind of parent. She never imagined she'd end up being  _that_ mom, the one who only saw her kid on holidays and on the weekends whenever she'd be free from work. It wasn't the ideal "family" she imagined she'd have when she was growing up.

Leaving Wulfie to chase her broadway dreams wasn't an easy decision, but after their divorce was final, Aubrey relentlessly encouraged her to pursue her passions. To live for herself, for a change. Aubrey assured her that she'd always have a family to come home to, and she kept true to her word. Their house still felt like home for Chloe.

All the things she sacrificed over the years, the dreams she buried, all those nights she'd stay up late just waiting for Aubrey to get home, the afternoons she spent alone at the dinner table, the missed dates, the one lined apology texts Aubrey would send whenever she forgot an important date- everything that Chloe gave up, just so that Aubrey could pursue her  _own_  career, flashed through Chloe's mind. And she was suddenly brought back to their current reality. She didn't miss _being married_ to Aubrey, she missed being part of a family. And she didn't miss Aubrey, she missed the idea of being someone’s wife.

_Being someone's wife..._

Chloe's mind then reeled to Beca, and her heart was immediately warmed and comforted. Her situation with her son wasn't ideal, sure, but there was no doubt in her mind that Beca was the person she wanted to have a family with. She wanted a life with her. It took Chloe a while to realize her true feelings for Beca, but once her mind finally caught up to her heart, she wasted no time when it came to moving on. 

_Her and Beca's relationship..._

Chloe paled, she was just entertaining the idea of missing Aubrey, which was ridiculous! She couldn't miss Aubrey, she was happy with Beca. Completely happy! They were **so** happy, in fact, that they decided to take on the next big step in their relationship.

Before she could finish the rest of her thoughts, Aubrey caught her attention.

"Everything okay, Chlo?" Aubrey asked, a look of genuine concern on her face. 

At the other woman's soft tone, Chloe relented. Okay, maybe she did miss Aubrey. Her  _best friend,_ Aubrey. 

She smiled and shook her head a bit, "I'm fine. Just super tired for some reason." She finished putting away the rest of the toys and walked towards the blonde.

"Not used to handling a three year old anymore?" Aubrey quipped.

Chloe smiled at her ex-wife's teasing tone, "One was already a handful for me, but now there's two! I need to level up on my mama powers. I need to get on your’s and Stacie's level!" She laughed.

"To be fair, pre-school and the baby sitters help tire them out. They're together and play games, either indoors or outdoors,  **all** day so by the time Stacie gets home from work, they're only concern is dinner." Aubrey smiled involuntarily at the thought of the surgeon, "And by the time I get to Stacie's house to pick Wulfie up, all he wants to do is cuddle and talk about his day, so..." She trailed off with a shrug. 

As they walked towards the communal bathroom to check on the kids, Chloe let out a loud gasp as realization dawned on her. "Is that why it only takes him, like, 10-15 minutes to fall asleep when we're facetiming each night? Once I get the chance to talk to him, he's already **so** worn out!" Chloe shrieked.

Aubrey winced at Chloe's accusatory tone, she knew how important facetiming with Wulfie was to Chloe. "I know, I know. I'm sorry! I keep meaning to have him call you earlier but it just takes a long time to get him ready for bed these days!"

Chloe was about to respond but was startled, again, by Cassie and Wulfie's ear-screeching squeals. The two women looked up and froze at the sight of the kids barreling down the hall towards them at full speed...

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOL, I didn't how to end the first part. But trust, it's not that serious. I just wanted to split the chapter in two. Will post the next part later :)


	7. What Idiots do part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> continuation of chapter 6.  
> Enjoy :)

"BACON!!!!" Wulfic screamed repeatedly.

"PANCAKES!!!" Cassie screamed repeatedly, as well.

_"Don't let them run down the stairs! THE STAIRS! ONE OF YOU DO SOMETHING!"_ Luke cried out in frustration at Aubrey and Chloe's lack of urgency.

"Kids!" Aubrey called out when she realized what was happening. And quickly moved to chased after them, "No running down the stairs! Hey!"

_"Finally! My goodness!"_ Luke grumbled.

Chloe watched on in horror, the kids were screaming and running, Aubrey was screaming and desperately trying to catch up. It was so loud and chaotic, that the kids had trouble hearing Aubrey's commands. Everyone was just yelling over each other. Chloe was snapped out of her frozen state when she realized the children weren't making any moves to slow down. They were still running, full-steam ahead, despite Aubrey's warning.

"Guys! Stop running!" She exclaimed, though it was ineffective, and followed suit.

Luke rolled his eyes and decided to intervene. He took on his true angelic form, rising up to ten feet tall, which allowed room for his wings to morph into their proper size. The “heavenly-glow” that was usually emanating from his being, gleamed five times brighter as he glided towards the stairs.

" _CASTIELLE CONRAD-STROMA!"_ Luke bellowed _._ Hisvoice booming above the mayhem.

Cassie immediately halted right before reaching the stairs and looked up at the big looming angel in fear. Everything around her seemed to have blurred at the sight of the angel’s true form.

Aubrey grabbed Wulfie by the arm before he could descend the stairs. The two moms went on to reprimand them and talked to them about how dangerous it was to run down the stairs. But Cassie heard none of what the women were saying. Being the only one who heard and saw the full extent of Luke's angelic form, her ears were still ringing and her eyes were still focused on her father's majestic appearance.

_"How many times have we told you **not**  to run about when you’re by a flight of stairs?"_

"I'm sorry." She quaked, unable to say anything else. 

Luke softened at the horrified look on his daughter's face, he lowered his voice and began to shrink down to his previous human form. He did what he had to do for his daughter's safety, but he regretted jumping the gun. Especially since Aubrey actually caught up to her before she got in harm's way.

"Cassie, sweetie, hold my hand." Chloe's voice caught the three year old's attention but she couldn't move. Fear still gripped at her heart, she was still visibly traumatized by the angel hovering above them.

"No." The toddler shook her head, her voice was small and tears began prickling her eyes.

Luke's heart broke at the look on his daughter's face.  _"Grab her hand and walk along down, please."_ He reached out to her, in an effort to calm her down but she flinched as he did so.

Chloe looked over to Aubrey with knotted brows, she softly questioned if what they said was too harsh and Aubrey shook her head in response. Aubrey knew Castielle well enough to know that the gentle correction wasn't the cause of her sudden mood shift. She motioned for Chloe to take their son down the stairs, so she could deal with the cowering three year old.

_"I'm sorry I yelled at you baby. I didn't mean to scare you. Daddy was just trying to protect you."_

Cassie hung her head low and hummed lowly in response. She felt the familiar feeling of Aubrey's hand smoothing her hair away from her face. She looked up and sighed sadly when she saw that her dad was no longer there. 

"Hey, love bug, what's wrong?" Aubrey urged. 

"Nothing." Cassie sputtered. 

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm." The three year old nodded somberly.

"Okay, well-" Aubrey knelt down and rubbed Cassie's back soothingly- "If nothing's wrong, are you ready for pancakes? Mommy's down there waiting for you." 

At the mention of her favorite breakfast food, Cas rose up to her tippy-toes and reached for the blonde. Aubrey smiled and gathered the toddler in her arms as Cassie reflexively clung onto her shoulders and buried her face against the woman's neck. Aubrey carefully walked down to the kitchen and continued to run her hand up and down Castielle's back comfortingly. 

Having been briefed by Chloe of the incident that happened upstairs, Stacie was waiting for them by the kitchen entrance. She beamed at the sight before her.

"There's my girl!" Stacie gushed once they were in front of each other.

"Baby, look it's mommy." Aubrey cooed, and turned so Cassie was facing her mother. 

Stacie's heart fluttered at how gentle the judge was being with her daughter, but the feeling was short-lived because Cas just looked up at her mom and smiled. "Hi mommy, you made me pancakes?"

Stacie and Aubrey frowned at the little diva's lack of enthusiasm, she was usually very bubbly and hyper once she was around her mom. 

"Yes, we did! Come on my big girl, you need some sugar in you, ASAP!" Stacie tickled her daughter's sides and felt better at the sound of Cassie's laughter.

"Sugaarrrrr! Yes, please!" Aubrey sang as they walked over to the dining table together, which caused Cassie to giggle even louder.

"Hey Cassie, are you feeling better sweetie?" Chloe greeted.

"Yeah! We have pancakes!" 

"AND BACON!" Wulfie interjected, he scarfed down an entire piece of bacon in his little three year old mouth.

"Wulf, the bacon's not goin' anywhere babes. You need to chew." Chloe gently instructed and wiped bacon grease from her son's face. "Geez." 

The red head looked to Aubrey and Stacie, who were standing side by side with Cassie still in Aubrey's arms, and the three women laughed at the way Wulfie was inhaling his food.

"I'm gonna get some coffee." Stacie piped up, she placed a hand on the small of Aubrey's back, a smirk forming on her lips, "You want one baby?" 

"Nah uh." Cassie piped up quietly, her head still resting in the crook of Aubrey's neck.

"I wasn't talking to you, my silly monkey." Stacie teased.

"You're not even allowed to have coffee yet." Aubrey chimed, she felt Cassie shrug in response and nuzzled further into her neck.

The two women shared a knowing look with each other, now that they were in the same room as Chloe, it was time for them to go full-on "girlfriend" mode. It was time to bring the "big guns" out, so to speak.

"So, coffee?" Stacie prodded.

Aubrey raised a brow, a coy smile tugging at her lips. "Mhm." She replied sweetly, as Stacie walked toward the coffee maker. 

"No milk, two scoops of sugar, right?"

"Right. Thanks babe." The blonde smiled her beautiful charming smile and Stacie's knees felt weak all of a sudden.

Chloe shook her head in mild amusement at Aubrey's tone. She had forgotten Aubrey Posen's charm, her finesse, and her ability to say the simplest sentences in such a way that made panties drop. Chloe looked over to Stacie and noted she had a darker look on her face. 

_Posen's still got it_ , the red head thought. 

Stacie winked at Aubrey, then turned to Chloe, "You want one Chlo?"

"Oh no, I'm good. I have my tea. Thanks!"

"Cool." Stacie turned her back to the pair and proceeded to prepare their coffee, so she didn't catch the giddy look Chloe gave Aubrey and Aubrey rolling her eyes fondly in response. 

"Okay!" The blonde cleared her throat, her attention shifting to the toddler in her arms, "Where do you wanna sit Cas? With me and mommy or with Wulfie?"

"Mmm," Cassie hummed in thought. She looked over at Wulfie, who was still shoving food in his mouth like there was no tomorrow, his mom sipping her tea was seated next to him. Then she looked to the other side of the table, "With you and mommy, please!"

"Alrighty!" Aubrey looked over to Stacie, who was setting their coffee mugs on the table, and smiled at her sweetly, "Mommy, can you pull Cassie's chair over here? She wants to sit between us." 

Stacie didn't know what it was, but hearing Aubrey address her as "mommy", while she was carrying **her** daughter, _did things_ to Stacie's hormones. She tried not to show how incredibly affected she was by it, but the triumphant look on Aubrey's face meant she knew exactly what she was doing.

"Pleeease babe?" Aubrey flirted.

Oh the things she would do to wipe that smug look off of Aubrey's face. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for keeping up with this story. lol It's been fun writing this. TWO MORE CHAPTERS AND WE DOOOONE!   
> As always,   
> thanks for the love <3


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